Day 1 Recap: Patriots draft Chattanooga G Cole Strange in the NFL 2022 Draft 1st round

The Patriots decision to draft Chattanooga guard Cole Strange at No. 29 in Thursday night’s first round was unorthodox. With the pick, he became the first guard drafted by Bill Belichick in the first round since Logan Mankins in 2005. He was also a player who some projected to be drafted in the second or third round in the 2022 NFL Draft.

That clearly didn’t matter to Belichick.

When the Patriots were initially on the clock at No. 21, the Pats were eyeing Strange. Instead of drafting him, the team traded that pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for pick 29, a third rounder (No. 94) and fourth rounder (No. 121). When their turn came around again, Belichick said they were pleased that their target was still available and despite the media draft reports saying otherwise, the Patriots didn’t believe Strange “wouldn't have lasted much longer” in the draft so waiting until their second-round pick (54th overall) didn’t make sense.

“Yeah, well, if we had stayed at 21, then we would have obviously picked somebody. Probably a good chance it would have been (Strange),” Belichick said. I don't know, there were several teams that we talked to prior to when we made the trade. There were some other conversations going on there, but ultimately that's the one we chose. Glad Cole was there when we picked, and as I said, feel like we made the best decision that we could at 21.”

Day 2 of the NFL 2022 Draft:: Previews and live coverage of Friday and Saturdays draft coverage

Strange said that notion meant the world to him.

“Their confidence in me… coach Belichick is probably the greatest coach who’s ever been,” Strange said. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be a Patriot. I really can’t. I cant’ just wait to get up there and start playing and practicing. I cannot wait.”

The Patriots saw plenty of Strange during this pre-draft process. They met with him at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, saw him against top competition at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and even went to his Pro Day in Chattanooga, Tenn. Belichick thought Strange played well against better competition at the Senior Bowl and also said the team liked how versatile he’s been in college. At Chattanooga, Strange started at left guard, right guard, left tackle and center.

“He's long, he's athletic. He's physically tough. He's an aggressive player,” Belichick said. “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. But 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.”

For Strange, Thursday night was a dream come true. He was back home in Knoxville, Tenn., with his family when he got the call that the Patriots were making him his school’s first ever first-round pick. Strange said he’s excited to be a member of the Patriots and hopes to add to the team’s winning culture. When asked about his playing style, the guard said it was “aggressive and relentless” and added he tried to play football “nasty – how the game of football is supposed to be played.”

When it came to his draft evaluation from outside New England, Strange said he’ll come to the Patriots with extra motivation.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve kind of held this stance and thought process from the very beginning,” said Strange. “No matter where I got drafted or where I got picked, I was going to approach it the exact same way – with the same chip on my shoulder I’ve always had. I know this is just the beginning and whenever I get there, I’m going to have to put in a lot of work. That’s just how I’ve always felt – no matter where I went.”

Initial reaction to the Patriots drafting Cole Strange

The Patriots wanted to protect Mac Jones.

That’s the biggest takeaway on the first night of the 2022 NFL Draft as the Pats traded down and then selected Chattanooga guard Cole Strange with the 29th overall selection.

Strange fits the Patriots biggest need after they lost both starting guards this offseason – Shaq Mason was traded to Tampa Bay and Ted Karras signed with Cincinnati. Strange is a 6-foot-4, 307-pound versatile and ultra athletic offensive lineman. At Chattanooga, he started 31 games at left guard, 14 at right guard, one at center and one at left tackle.

Last season, Strange earned All-American honors and was a team captain. He started for five years at Chattanooga. The Patriots saw him at the Senior Bowl, met with him at the NFL Combine and went to hPro Day. By drafting him in the first round, the Patriots clearly feel like they have an instant starter to help protect Jones on the offensive line. He could start at left guard and Michael Onwenu could fill in at right guard on the Pats' offensive line. That would give the Patriots a starting unit of Isaiah Wynn (left tackle), Strange (left guard), David Andrews (center), Onwenu (right guard) and Trent Brown (right tackle).

The pick, however, isn't without controversy. Draft analysts predicted Strange would be a second or third-round pick. The Providence Journal mocked the guard to the Patriots on April 15 - but in the third round. In fact, after the Patriots made their pick, Rams coach Sean McVay, who was on the podium speaking to the media said, "And we wasted our time watching him thinking he'd be at (pick) 104."

The Providence Journal also featured Strange as one of the top athletic fits on offense for the Patriots in the 2022 NFL Draft. When you average out Combine numbers for guards drafted by Belichick, Strange hit seven-of-eight marks — height (6-4), 40 (5.03), vertical (28), bench (31), broad jump (10 feet), 3-cone (7.44) and shuttle (4.5). He comes very close to hitting all eight. His only miss was the weight category (307), by two pounds.

Athletically, Strange compares well to former Patriots standout guards Joe Thuney and Logan Mankins.

On Thursday, Strange became the first player from Chattanooga to be drafted in the top three rounds since Terrell Owens in 1996. He is the school's first, first round pick

Patriots trade down in the first round

As the first round unfolded on Thursday night, it appeared that the Patriots would have their pick of the NFL Draft’s top linebacker, a top cornerback or one of the top defensive linemen. Instead, Bill Belichick traded the 21st overall selection to the Kansas City.

In the deal, the Pats stay in the first round picking up the Chief’s 29th overall pick. They also add a third rounder (94th overall) and a fourth rounder (121st overall).

With the 21st pick, Kansas City drafted cornerback Trent McDuffie.

This isn't a surprise. Belichick has made 83 draft-day trades since 2000. That is the most in the NFL. This draft is considered deep and the Patriots have a lot of needs. Now, they have even more ammo in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Here's the Patriots updated draft picks

1st round: Overall pick 29

2nd round: Overall pick 54

3rd round: Overall pick 85

3rd round: Overall pick 94

4th round: Overall pick 121

4th round: Overall pick 127

5th round: Overall pick 158

6th round: Overall pick 183

6th round: Overall pick 200

6th round: Overall pick 210

7th round: Overall pick 245

Top CBs come off the board early in Round 1

After losing J.C. Jackson in free agency, cornerback remains one of the Patriots top needs. The team added two veterans this offseason in Malcolm Butler and Terrance Mitchell, but have been well connected to several of the top corners in the 2022 NFL Draft.

For Patriots fans, the hope was that some of the top cornerbacks would fall in Thursday’s first round, allowing the Patriots (at 21) to draft one of the top available defensive backs. As the first round started, it was clear that wasn’t going to happen as the top two cornerbacks came off the board within the top four picks.

LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. was the first cornerback to be selected, going third overall to the Houston Texans. Next up, the New York Jets drafted Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner at No. 4.

And just like that, the top two cornerbacks were gone.

The best available cornerbacks are Washington's Trent McDuffie, Florida's Kaiir Elam and Clemson's Andrew Booth Jr. All three could be drafted tonight.

Patriots rumored to be looking at these LBs

As the first round draws closer, NFL draft rumors are heating up.

For the Patriots, current rumors have them targeting a linebacker in tonight's first round. At the moment, the thought is that Georgia's Nakobe Dean, Utah's Devin Lloyd and Georgia's Quay Walker are the top three players at the position.

ESPN reports that there's "buzz around New England" taking Dean with their 21st overall selection tonight. Dean is undersized at 5-foot-11, 229 pounds so that would be a departure from the Patriots norm at linebacker. However, Dean was the nation's top linebacker, earning the Butkus Award this season after finishing with 72 tackles, six sacks and two interceptions.

The other Patriots rumor has them targeting Dean's teammate, Walker. ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller tweeted, citing a source in the NFL, "Way Walker (is) the first linebacker and he doesn't get past New England." Walker is 6-foot-3 and weighs 241 pounds. He finished with 67 tackles and three pass deflections last season.

NFL 2022 Draft: Nakobe Dean, George Pickens join 3 other Georgia underclassmen in declaring

Both Walker and Dean have elite athleticism and would add much-needed speed to the patriots defense. The Providence Journal wrote about both as the linebackers are two of the top athletic fits for the Patriots in the 2022 NFL Draft.

How many draft picks do the Patriots have?

The New England Patriots are going into the draft with nine picks over the three days. They only have one on the first day of the draft. Here is how the order starts.

1st round: Overall pick 21

2nd round: Overall pick 54

3rd round: Overall pick 85

4th round: Overall pick 127

5th round: Overall pick 158

6th round: Overall pick 183

6th round: Overall pick 200

6th round: Overall pick 210

7th round: Overall pick 245

Welcome to our draft coverage

Welcome to the 2022 NFL Draft.

The first round starts tonight at 8 p.m. The Patriots are scheduled to pick around 10:50 p.m. - if they keep their 21st overall selection.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Pats trade back – they already traded a fifth-round pick to Houston for sixth and seventh round picks – but it’s been reported that many teams are looking to trade back since this draft is considered deep. One thing we should expect is for Bill Belichick to make more trades. Since 2000, the Patriots have made 83 draft-day trades. That's the most in the NFL ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles (64).

Who will the Patriots draft?: Here are 10 first-round prospects who fit their needs

Who are the Patriots looking to draft?: Here are the top prospects connected to the team

The last time the Patriots made the 21st overall selection, they drafted Chandler Jones in 2012. He’s the last 21st pick to make an All-Pro team. The Pats also drafted Vince Wilfork in the same spot in 2004.

The Patriots have a laundry list of needs – cornerback, guard, linebacker, tackle and receiver – but we’re often surprised by Belichick and his picks, so be ready for anything. At this point, we've previewed the Pats best athletic fits on offense and defense.

Who do we think the Patriots will pick in the 2022 draft

We've also put together four different Patriots mock drafts:

Patriots Mock 1, Patriots Mock 2, Patriots Mock 3 and Patriots Mock 4.

Stay tuned as we’ll have you covered her all night as things unfold.

How to watch the NFL Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft will be broadcast on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes

NFL Draft start time

Round 1: 8 p.m. Thursday, April 28

Rounds 2 and 3: 7 p.m. Friday, April 29

Rounds 3 to 7: Noon Saturday, April 30

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Patriots' pick Cole Strange, Chattanooga at NFL 2022 Draft Day 1