As the first round of the NFL 2022 draft turned to midnight, the New England Patriots turned to Cole Strange.
New England chose the Chattanooga guard at number 29 overall.
Strange will mark the prospect of the ninth offensive line off the board on Thursday. He will also mark the first promising Mocs candidate to be selected by the Patriots during Bill Belichik’s term as head coach.
Trading a total of 21 with Kansas City Chiefs, the exchange raised additional capital for the military room in the third and fourth rounds of 94 and 121 respectively. And a surprise from the Southern Conference.
Here’s an initial look at why.
Fast-paced launcher with 44 games at FCS level
Turning to the Air Force as well as the defensive side of the ball, Strange made 44 starts in Chattanooga after a red shirt in 2016. Appearing in a total of 49 games, he ended his career at FCS as captain of the team with the first team All – SoCon and all American awards from the first team.
Reese’s invitations to Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine followed for Strange, who became the second player in the program’s history to score both squares behind former undefeated New England defender Kyonta Davis.
While at Mobile, Strange spun in the center. And while in Indianapolis, he ran the three-cone drill in 7.44 seconds and the short shuttle in 4.5 seconds. Only a handful of participating offensive fighters scored faster in these agility tests. At 6 pounds 5 and 307 pounds, his 120-inch wide jump topped the position group.
Making a move against consensus
Strange registered as the 76th prospect overall in the consensus big board assembled by Arif Hassan of The Athletic. He also registered with a third-round score in Dane Brugler’s draft guide.
But Pro Football Focus targeted Strange for allowing one sack, one punch and three quick 311 clicks to defend the pass in the last campaign. And on Thursday night, he turned out to overshadow Terrell Owens’ wide-ranging successor, a third-round player in 1996, as Chatanuga’s top-tier product.
“He wouldn’t last much longer,” Belicik told Strange reporters during his summary video conference.
I enter as a rookie for New England
Last fall, Senior Bowl CEO Jim Nagy described Strange as “the type of whistleblower graduate who gets under people’s skin.” This met the need of the Patriots in the interior.
In March, left-winger Ted Karas left for Cincinnati Bengals through a free agency, and right-wing guard Shaq Mason left for Tampa Bay Bookenaries through trade. The last starting place is now planned to be in the hands of the rising junior Mike Onuenu, while the first starting place is planned to be in the hands of a newcomer.
Strange, who will turn 24 when the training camp opens in late July, has marked 42 of his starts as a left-back. He also received a nod once at the left grip and once at the Mocs support.
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