The New England Patriots sure know how to surprise people on draft day. While last year’s college player selection meeting was fairly unusual — quarterback Mac Jones was the favorite to land with the team midway through the first round — this year’s Day 1 selection came from left field.
Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange came to the Patriots as the 29th pick in this year’s draft. But who is he? And what does he bring to the table? let’s find out
hard facts
Surname: Cole Strange
School: Chattanooga
Position: Inner offensive line
Old opening day: 24
Size: 6-foot-5, 307 pounds, 33 arms, 79 3/4 wingspan, 10 1/8 hands,
Measurements: 5.03 40-yard dash, 28″ vertical jump, 10’0″ long jump, 4.50 short shuttle, 7.44 3-cone, 31 bench press
player profile
Career: Strange, a two-star high school linebacker recruit, originally enlisted in Chattanooga, then briefly transferred to the Air Force before returning. He finished his true freshman season, switching positions starting six games in his freshman year of college. Strange continued to serve as a five-year starter for the Mocs, primarily at left flank but also briefly at left flank and center.
Overall, he appeared in 49 games over the course of his collegiate career. He started 44 games and received several individual awards. In 2021, he was named a first-team All-American, first-team All-Southern, and the conference’s top offensive lineman. As the team captain, Strange was invited to the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine following his senior season.
Strengthen: Strange is an athletic freak and has had the seventh highest relative athletic score of any guard prospect for the past 35 years. He has impeccable balance and agility and has proven himself when asked to serve as a lead and pull blocker.
Weaknesses: Despite being a rock-solid player, Strange needs to get stronger to thrive against NFL-level competition. He’s not the strongest player on the road either.
Patriots preview
What is his planned role in New England? While some teams viewed him as a center rather than a guard, Strange is expected to appear as a guard in New England. As such, he will likely help replace the late Ted Karras; Karras was the Patriots’ first left guard in 2021, and Strange, who has started 42 games at this point in college, is likely to take over.
Where does he fit on the offensive line depth chart? Earlier this offseason, Patriots director of player staff Matt Groh mentioned that the team expects his first-round pick to have an immediate impact. Expect Strange to take over the starting gig at left guard immediately, bringing some stability to a position that had plenty prior to Joe Thuney’s departure from free agency in March 2021.
Does he have positional versatility? Though most of his snaps ended up on the left side in Chattanooga, Strange has experience elsewhere as well. He started a game at center in 2019 and another at left tackle in 2021. He also has a handful of right tackle snaps on his resume.
What is his special team worth? Just like any offensive lineman, Strange has limited value when it comes to kicking play. However, the expectation is that he’ll step in immediately as a protector on field goals and extra point kicks.
What does this mean for the design of the New England outlook? Strange’s first-round pick fulfilled one of the team’s biggest needs, but that doesn’t mean another offensive lineman isn’t on the horizon down the line. Tackle position eventually remains somewhat of a question mark as Isaiah Wynn enters the final year of his contract and Trent Brown slowly moves up there in age.
Verdict in one sentence: His first-round pick might be a head-scratcher, but Strange checks a lot of boxes for the Patriots and is a mean SOB on the inside offensive line.