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I
t wasn’t surprising that the New England Patriots ended up trading back in the 2022 NFL Draft but who they ended up selecting with the 29th overall pick had fans scratching their heads.
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The Patriots traded back from 21st overall and acquired the 29th, 94th, and 121st overall pick from the Kansas City Chiefs. With the 29th overall pick, New England selected guard Cole Strange.
Patriots fans were quick to head to social media and let their opinion on the pick be heard. A large number of fans were left stunned by the selection.
The reason for the shock is that stranged was projected to be a Day 2 selection NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projected that Strange would be selected in the second round.
Some other fans had more tepid takes on the selection.
@Patriots @ColeStrange2 @GoMocsFB @GoMocs he’ll probably be a fine player… but could have easily picked him next round
Who Should The Patriots Have Drafted?
While some fans were stunned by the selection, others were left thinking about what could have been. New England was linked with Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean who was still available when the Patriots made their selection.
@Patriots @ColeStrange2 @GoMocsFB @GoMocs Dean was IN YOUR LAP
@Patriots @ColeStrange2 @GoMocsFB @GoMocs I am actually going to lose sleep over this, could’ve had this man tomorrow and picked a real player like Nakobe Dean
Dean tallied 72 tackles, six sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles in his senior season. As a freshman, Dean recorded 25 tackles and was named Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year.
Dean did not end up getting selected in the first round.
Who Did The Patriots Actually Draft?
Strange will turn 24 before the start of his rookie season. He was one of many players who utilized an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. He stands at six-foot five inches and weighs 307 pounds.
The offensive lineman was a five-year starter and appeared in 44 games for The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Starting in 2018 until 2020, Strange landed on the All-SoCon second team. In 2021, Strange was named a third-team All-American along with a spot on the All-SoCon first team.
Strange gained notoriety at the Senior Bowl where he was one of the top performers at the event. He also did well at the Scouting Combine where Strange finished with the best broad jump (10 feet) and the second-best performance in the bench press (31 reps). Strange became the second-ever player from Chattanooga to participate in the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine with the first being Keionta Davis in 2017.
Zierlein described Strange as a highly experienced interior lineman.
“He shines over the first two phases of the block, which means he gains early positioning and gets into the sustain phase with proper hand usage and footwork,” Zierlein said. “He will lose a tug-of-war battle as a pure man-to-man blocker, but wins with lateral quickness and an understanding of angles as a move blocker.
Zierlein added that Strange’s frame and “play strength” are a little below average.