Why did the New England Patriots spend the No. 29 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on an offensive guard?
According to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Chattanooga guard Cole Strange "wouldn't have lasted much longer" had New England not taken him at 29. But our Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran both spoke to NFL sources who believed Strange would have been available well past the first round, while Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead literally laughed when they heard Strange went in the first round.
So, who were the Patriots worried about snagging Strange, and could they have simply waited to take the 6-foot-5, 307-pound offensive guard in the second round at No. 54 overall?
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Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer joined Early Edition on Friday night just before Day 2 of the draft to provide some intel into how other teams viewed Strange.
"I've been on the phone for the last 18 hours since the (first round) ended, and I just can't find a team that thinks that he was going to go at the top of the second round," Breer said of Strange. "I think there were plenty of teams that felt like he was a solid third-rounder. Some teams felt like he could slip into the back of the second round. But I think the best example might be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers."
New England Patriots
The Bucs owned the first pick of the second round (No. 33 overall), and Breer noted Tom Brady's club was "one of the teams the Patriots were worried about" drafting Strange after losing linemen Alex Cappa and Ali Marpet this offseason.
"My understanding is the Buccaneers did like Cole Strange. They do have a need at guard," Breer said. "... But the consideration for them would be to take him at 60, not at 33.
"So, you hear that teams like Cole Strange, and that's absolutely true, but I think those teams liked him at the end of the second round and into the third round. So, I think he would have been there at No. 54."
Perry: Patriots pass up quality talent to fill a self-inflicted need
Breer's intel won't make Patriots fans feel any better about the Strange pick. While Strange is a very good player who could be a Day 1 starter at a position of need for New England, it sounds like the Patriots overvalued him.
They also have pressing needs at cornerback, linebacker and wide receiver, and appears the Patriots could have nabbed one of several talented players who were still available at No. 29 before waiting to draft Strange at No. 54.
There's still a lot of draft left -- the Patriots entered Friday's Day 2 with 10 picks over the final six rounds -- so perhaps Belichick has a plan. But it sounds like the Patriots haven't maximized their resources through one round.