Patriots Draft: Belichick's record impeccable up front on offense

May 2—The same gripes heard this weekend from New England Patriots fans about first-round draft pick Cole Strange have been echoed before.

They came when Matt Light was taken in 2001's second round, and Nate Solder was selected to replace him at left tackle in the first round 10 years later. When Logan Mankins went in the first round of 2005, screams of anger, months after the third Super Bowl win in four years, sounded off.

Perhaps they were loudest of all in 2018 when Isaiah Wynn came at No. 23.

I know. I was right there, railing against all four picks.

The bottom line, though, is that Bill Belichick's track record of picking offensive lineman in the top two rounds since 2001 has been pretty darn sensational.

So as Strange as the pick might seem (I promise, that's the last Strange pun ever from this corner), it has to be trusted ... for now.

"He's long, he's athletic. He's physically tough. He's an aggressive player. I think he has a good combination of skills, run and pass, movement, length, strength, again, all of which will hopefully get better, like they will with any player coming from college to the National Football League," said Belichick of the Tennessee-Chattanooga grad. "I think he has a good skill set, and he's a smart player that makes a lot of good decisions on the interior line there, timing, when to come off, and combo blocks, things like that."

In Bill we trust ... at least when it comes to blue-chip offensive linemen in the draft.

Light was an 11-year starter with three trips to the Pro Bowl.

Solder played seven years at left tackle in New England and won a pair of Super Bowl rings.

Mankins, an All-Pro with seven Pro Bowl selections, could be headed to Canton in the near future.

And Wynn, while underwhelming and maligned here at times, is still your starting left tackle.

If that's not A+ work by Belichick, what (not named Tom Brady) is?

It says here Strange will slide right in and make folks from in these parts miss Shaq Mason a lot less than they do right now.

Now, here's are some thoughts on the other nine picks that Belichick and the Patriots made over the weekend.

Round 2: Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor

The immediate thought when hearing Thornton's name was Bethel Johnson 2.0, a speed guy with little else coming out of the defense-starved Big-12. Johnson didn't have Thornton's size, though, and that in itself makes this pick intriguing, especially considering the long-term hopes in this receiver corps.

Round 3: Marcus Jones, CB, Houston

Give the Patriots credit. Round 2 corners have been an absolute Kryptonite zone for Belichick in the draft. So, they waited until Round 3. Houston had a resurgence in the past three years. Jones was right in the thick of it. This morning, he sits at the top of the New England depth chart for the position. You make with that what you would like.

Round 4: Jack Jones, CB, Arizona State

A fan of Pac-12 football, I am. A fan of the Sun Devils' defense the past couple years, I am not. Jones is a rugged kid. He'll support the run, get dirty, stick his nose in there. Is he a man-cover type? That's the knock. We will see.

Round 4: Pierre Strong, RB, South Dakota State

Looks to be the next guy to grind it out on first and second down. Neither Rhamondre Stevenson nor Damien Harris oozes durability. and you just shouldn't pay running backs any dough in their second contract.

So get prepared to sit for a year, Pierre. See you in 2023. Be ready to go.

Round 4: Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky

A head-scratcher for sure, considering two factors — Mac Jones selection in 2021 in Round 1 and how tight Steve Belichick reportedly is with Jarrett Stidham off the field.

But, Jimmy Garoppolo in round 2 was a head-scratcher, so was Jacoby Brissett in round 3. Both went on to be legit NFL starting QBs.

Maybe Zappe is worth the shot here.

Round 6: Kevin Harris, RB, South Carolina

Harris, again, is a bid for running back insurance.

A pedestrian final season at South Carolina landed the 220-pounder a trip to the sixth round. Belichick had to see something he liked, though.

Round 6: Sam Roberts, DL, Northwest Missouri State

This kid from out of Division 2 college football wreaks of being a project. Of course, that's what the sixth round is for.

Round 6: Chasen Hines, G, Louisiana State

Earlier, we wrote about how Marcus Jones gets credit for helping build Houston into a college power?

We're guessing that NFL types may have punished Hines a bit for the fall of LSU.

Timing is everything.

Round 7: Andrew Steuber, OL, Michigan

A right tackle for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, you have to wonder if he transitions inside here in his bid for the pros.