The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft was one of the most exciting in recent history. With nine Day 1 trades, there was no shortage of shocking moves and selections. One such selection was the New England Patriots drafting Chattanooga guard Cole Strange at No. 29 overall. As a result, Strange became the highest-drafted player in program history — an honor previously held by wide receiver Terrell Owens (No. 89 in the 1996 NFL Draft). Who is Strange, where did he come from, and was he worthy of a first-round pick?
Who is Cole Strange?
Strange is a mauling offensive lineman, but he actually began his football career on the opposite side of the ball. While he was an honor roll student off the field at Farragut Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee, Strange dominated as a linebacker/defensive end. As a senior, he generated 103.5 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and 5 batted passes. His play garnered all-district and all-state honors as well as the KIL Defensive Player of the Year.
Despite his high school success, Strange was only rated as a two-star prospect. However, he received scholarship offers from Chattanooga, ETSU, Western Carolina, and UT Martin. Strange committed to Chattanooga prior to his senior campaign, but a visit to Air Force was enough to sway him, as he de-committed from the Mocs and signed a letter of intent with the Falcons in February 2016.
As anyone who follows college football recruiting knows, nothing is ever set in stone until the 11th hour. Strange reneged on his letter of intent in the summer and enrolled at Chattanooga that fall.
Career at Chattanooga
Although he shined on the defensive side of the ball in high school, Strange moved to the offensive line for the Mocs. Yet, he broke his wrist lifting weights and redshirted his true freshman year. He slotted in at right tackle the following season but moved to left guard midseason. From then on, the starting LG spot belonged to Strange.
He started every game in 2018 and 2019, missed one in a COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, and started 11 contests (9 at LG, 2 at LT) in 2021. Strange received second-team all-conference recognition in 2019 and 2020, but 2021 was his national coming-out party. He won the Jacobs Blocking Award as the top OL in the league, earned a first-team all-conference nod, and acquired an invite to the prestigious Senior Bowl.
Strange may have dominated on the gridiron, but he didn’t slack off in the classroom. He graduated with a psychology degree in December 2020, making the dean’s list every year since he stepped on campus. That highlights not only Strange’s intelligence but also his dedication and work ethic.
Chattanooga head coach Rusty Wright had glowing words for his star offensive lineman: “He has that true old-school offensive lineman mindset. You get lined up, and it doesn’t make a crap who’s on the other side of you. You just go get after it and go get it done. That’s him, and it’s with everything he does.”
Rams, Patriots react to draft choice
Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead quite literally laughed out loud and threw some shade at Bill Belichick and Co. after they selected Strange in the first round.
In a post-draft conference, Belichick spoke about selecting the 23-year-old guard: “He wouldn’t have lasted much longer. If we had stayed at 21, then we would have obviously picked somebody. Probably a good chance it would have been him. 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. 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.”
NFL Draft scouting report
Although the Rams brass’ reaction wasn’t without merit, Strange’s scouting report shows promise. Two traits jump off of his tape: athleticism and a savage demeanor. At 6’4″ and 307 pounds with 33″ arms, he meets the size requirements for the position. And at that size, he tested in the 90th percentile in multiple drills at the NFL Combine: 40-yard dash (5.03), bench press (31 reps), broad jump (10″), three-cone (7.44), and 20-yard shuttle (4.5).
Those physical tools are easily visible on tape. Strange explodes into defenders, can climb to the second level, move laterally in a hurry, and is fluid in space. He plays with stellar pad level and knee bend, owns functional mobility in his hips, knees, and ankles, and possesses deadening grip strength. Furthermore, his quick feet allow Strange to recover his base and reset his leverage even after giving up some ground.
The Mocs prospect plays to and through the whistle, giving defenders more than they ask for. Strange is solid in pass protection, but he thrives as a run blocker. His core and grip strength is impressive, he rolls his hips to lift defenders, his anchor is stout, and he can flip his hips to turn and seal edges.
Moreover, Strange offers positional versatility, with the ability to move to center or tackle in a pinch. At the Senior Bowl, Strange reportedly crushed interviews and had impressive reps in 1-on-1s against UConn’s Travis Jones, Houston’s Logan Hall, and Oklahoma’s Perrion Winfrey. And if you turn on his film against Kentucky in 2021, you will routinely see him controlling the line of scrimmage.
Unfinished project
However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Strange. At the all-star event, he took notable losses against both Jones and Hall. And there will undoubtedly be a transition period for the Chattanooga guard. After all, he was playing FCS competition at practice and in games for six years.
Strange has a lean body type, and although his athleticism will help him make up for it, he stands to gain some muscle mass in the league. But his technique is the real area for growth. Strange is susceptible to leaning too much, opening soft edges and inside lanes. At times, he overextends, forcing his head to dip and losing leverage. His footwork can also improve, and he sometimes deployed too wide of a base, reducing his ability to generate power.
Lastly, Strange occasionally locks onto targets too quickly, leaving holes for blitzers and stunts. His hands need some refinement, as re-fitting is an issue, and they linger too long.
Regardless, the Patriots saw enough in Strange to make him a first-round pick. His main concerns are in coachable technique, so it’s easy to see the potential. And New England knows a thing or two about getting the most out of their offensive lineman. It may seem like a reach now, but the Patriots may have the last laugh just a couple of years down the line.