The New England Patriots' selection of Cole Strange with the 29th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft surprised everyone, including other NFL teams.
The Los Angeles Rams -- specifically Sean McVay and Les Snead -- were in the middle of a press conference when the Pats used their first-round pick on the Chattanooga guard. McVay couldn't help but burst out laughing when Strange -- widely considered a Day 2 or 3 pick -- was taken at No. 29 by New England.
"How about that?" the Rams head coach said. "And we wasted our time watching him thinking he'd be at (pick) 104 maybe!"
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That certainly won't make Pats fans feel any better about the pick.
Despite the apparent reach for Strange, our Phil Perry believes he's a fit for New England... (albeit, a better fit in Round 2 or 3). Here's what he wrote about Strange in his Prototypical Patriots series:
Strange may not hail from the SEC, but he moves like maybe he should've been recruited there. Tap his name into Mockdraftable.com for some comparisons to other interior linemen of similar heights, weights and athletic testing measures? The first two names you'll see are Thuney and recently-retired Bucs guard Ali Marpet. Plus, he ticks the "smart" and "tough" boxes as well.
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This Senior Bowl standout was a five-year starter on the offensive line. He played both left guard and left tackle last season, and during the build up to the draft, he's also worked out at center. Versatile, athletic, smart and tough? Feels like a fit.