Patriots First Round Pick Is A Little Strange But Understandable.

Before I talk about this selection of the 2022 draft, I want to talk about this pick itself. The 29th pick my friend Ray Rauth of the Dean Blendell Network said tonight prior to the Patriots selection that, "The Patriots look at the 29th pick like a second round pick." On top of that Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, someone who works for the league, in his draft profile projected the 2022 Patriots first round selection as a second round pick. Zierlein works for the NFL, not PFF or The Draft Network. So he's probably on the same page as NFL scouts. 

The Patriots had fans on the edge of their seat tonight waiting with anticipation for whom would be their 2022 first round draft pick. They made things worse or more interesting by trading down with Kansas acquiring the 29th, 94th. And 121st picks. So when the Patriots time came to pick and they had several popular names to choose from, fans thought that the Patriots got lucky. However, The Patriots selected guard and people are losing it.

Every media mock draft I saw had the Patriots taking sexy names or trading down. Especially if the best player available was a guard. Now I rely on the internet for Patriots news, so I don't know what all the talking heads were all saying but I blame the media for the outrage over this pick. NFL.com asked people to vote on the pick and here's how fans voted.

Looking at this poll. It was evenly split between the people who thought it was okay or better, from those who thought it was a bad pick. The results from A, B, and C aren't negative. It just goes to show Patriots nation is just found one more thing to be split on. And with that, let's get to the Patriots 2022 first round selection.

With the 29th overall pick, the Patriots drafted Cole Strange, guard from Tennessee-Chattanooga. He stands 6'5", weights 307 pounds, and NFL.com has him as an eventual starter. With his NFL comparisons being "J.C. Trotter."

Forty plus game starter who had his best year in 2021. A tough mauler with good balance and bend who plays at ideal pad level. Exceptional quickness for a guard. Has a strong anchor with good pop. Good length with can opener strength to create holes for his backs. Sloppy hand movement and developed footwork.

Extremely intelligent, multiple scheme blocker who played primarily zone. Should be a left guard with left tackle and center versatility but has played every position on the line. Ideal agility and can pull if need be. Knows how to get into the second level. Underweight for a guard. Needs to work on defending the bull rush and swim moves. Occasionally lunges and needs to work on setting the edge. And is 24 years old and who took advantage of the extra year of covid eligibility.

So there were people upset about Strange being taken. Some referring to him as a day three pick. So I looked to see if there were other sports writers who agreed with NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. Here's quotes from eight writers about the Patriots 2022 first round selection. Keep in mind what Dear Patriots Nation's Ray Rauth said about Belichick and the 29th pick.

Dylan Chappine compared Strange to Joe Thuney and said the following, "He is an ideal fit in a zone blocking scheme and has a strong case to be taken in round 2."

Uriel Klien wrote, "I think he deserves consideration even in the top half of the 1st round, even if he won’t be drafted until Day 2."

Andrew Freeman wrote, "I currently have a second-round grade on Strange and have him pegged as one of the ideal targets for the Bears to pursue on day two of the 2022 NFL Draft."

Tyler Sullivan ranked Strange an 84.31 and said "He should be a long term starter," comparing him to Mark Glowinski.

Natilie Miller of USA today projected Strange as "an early day 2 (2nd round) pick."

Tom Mead said, "He would need a year of learning and ten pounds before starting." Mead went on to compare him to both Maurkice Pouncey in terms of build and Alex Cappa in terms of play style.

Keegan Stiefel of Pats Palpit basically compared Strange to a tight end playing guard and projected him as "a 2nd-3rd round pick."

Erik Schlitt wrote the following after the combine workout, "The only question surrounding him is: do teams think he is ready to start now? If they think he is, he could also go earlier than expected."

Why I think the Patriots drafted Strange is so they could implement more of the RPOs that Mac Jones ran at Alabama. I think his athletism along with Onwenu give the Patriots a lot of flexibility in the interior of their line. The Patriots got away from the full back and it appears either Smith or Keane will play the H-back. That allows the Patriots to spread things out more. And they can change the offense to a one cut zone blocking scheme on the ground, which should make the Patriots more efficient. 

Overall, the Patriots needed a guard and drafting that late in round one, I'm okay with it. Several of the players people wanted the Patriots to draft are still available. At the moment while he wasn't one of my offensive line prospect, I'm trusting the Patriots. There's a reason I'm a blogger and not an NFL scout.