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The Los Angeles Rams weren’t on the board in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, but someone they hoped for ended up getting selected.
The New England Patriots took Chattanooga guard Cole Strange with the No. 29 overall pick in the first round.
New England’s selection surprised Los Angeles, who was hoping to draft him in the third round as it doesn’t have its first- or second-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft.
Sean McVay and Les Snead Caught By Surprise
Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead were in the middle of their press conference on Thursday, April 28, when the Patriots made the pick that shocked them.
“Strange just went!” McVay said, smiling.
“Oh my! U-T Chattanooga to the first round,” Snead added.
“How about that? And we wasted our time thinking he’d be at [pick No.] 104 baby,” McVay said to a room full of laughter.
The Patriots’ first-round pick of Strange was certainly strange to many draft analysts. Pro Football Focus’s Doug Kyed noted that he didn’t see Strange going in the first round of a single mock draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said he had him ranked low on his draft board relative to his draft spot.
“Big reach by the Patriots on my Big Board. I have Cole Strange at No. 69, and they took him at No. 29. Good player, fills a hole, but this is very high,” Kiper wrote on Twitter.
As McVay mentioned, the Rams’ first pick in the 2022 NFL draft isn’t until pick No. 104, which is the second-to-last pick of the third round.
Who Is Available for the Rams Entering Day 2?
There is a lot of high-quality talent that remains following the conclusion of the first round. Entering Day 2, which is when the second and third rounds of the draft will take place, Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean, Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., and Michigan edge David Ojabo all remain on the board after many mock drafts projected them to be first-round picks.
However, the Rams likely won’t be able to select any of the top players remaining entering Day 2 as they won’t be on the board until 71 picks after Round 2 starts.
The Patriots’ selection of Strange also thins the board of available interior offensive linemen, which was one of the Rams’ top needs entering the 2022 draft. But there’s still a good amount of top interior offensive linemen available who are projected to go in Round 3 or 4, including Kentucky’s Darian Kinnard, Memphis’ Dylan Parham, UCLA’s Sean Rhyan, and Georgia’s Jamaree Salyer.
The No. 104 pick is the only pick the Rams will have on Day 2 after sitting idle on Day 1 of the 2022 NFL Drat. They will be pretty busy though on Day 3. Los Angeles holds seven picks in the final four rounds of the NFL Draft, including three picks in the sixth round and two picks in the seventh round.
As for the Rams’ divisional rivals, only the Seattle Seahawks made a pick in the first round, selecting offensive tackle Charles Cross with the No. 9 overall pick.
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