Cole Strange

The Mocs product landed at No. 29 overall in Thursday's first round.

And on Thursday night, he found himself eclipsing Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens, a third-rounder in 1996, as the highest-drafted Chattanooga product. And while in Indianapolis, he ran the three-cone drill in 7.44 seconds and the short shuttle in 4.5 seconds. Strange, who will turn 24 as training camp opens in late July, logged 42 of his starts at left guard. The month of March saw left guard Ted Karras depart for the Cincinnati Bengals via free agency and right guard Shaq Mason depart for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via trade. Appearing in 49 games altogether, he finished his FCS career as a team captain with first-team All-SoCon and first-team All-American honors. And a surprise from the Southern Conference.

Countless mock drafts. Endless analysis. Nobody saw coming what the Patriots did in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft, trading back and then selecting interior ...

He played both left guard and left tackle last season, and during the build up to the draft, he's also worked out at center. This Senior Bowl standout was a five-year starter on the offensive line. Strange may not hail from the SEC, but he moves like maybe he should've been recruited there.

Fans, draft pundits and Rams coach Sean McVay were all surprised when Bill Belichick & Co. selected Chattanooga guard Cole Strange with the 29th pick.

"I think he has a good combination of skills, run and pass, movement ... and he's a smart player that makes a lot of good decisions on the interior line timing, when to come off, and combo blocks, things like that." The Super Bowl-winning coach's mouth opened wide, and he said: "Wow! Cole Strange just went! And we wasted our time watching him, thinking he'd be at [pick] 104, maybe."

People on Twitter had a lot to say about the Patriots drafting offensive guard Cole Strange at pick 29.

Many on Twitter had strong reactions to Bill Belichick predictably trading the Patriots’ 21st overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. Likewise, Twitter had plenty of hot takes after their selection at pick No. 29. Although many draft analysts loved the value that New England got from the Chiefs for trading down eight picks, some on Twitter had more to say about Bill Belichick’s first-round selection.

What can Patriots fans expect from the team's latest 1st-round pick? Here's what some NFL Draft experts have to say about Cole Strange.

Strange may need to add some play strength and refine his technique if he’s asked to play tackle, but these things can be ironed out by pro-level coaching. He should excel in a zone scheme with plenty of movement on the line, as Strange has the ideal athleticism to move laterally and cork any defenders in front of him, leading the way for the ball carrier. Weaknesses: When lined up at left tackle, Strange was beaten off the edge a few times as he leaned into speed rushers and opened himself up to crossers, getting torched immediately.

The New England Patriots must think they've selected their future starter at left guard: Chattanoog's Cole Strange.

It’s possible — and maybe even likely — the Patriots will find success with Strange at the center of their offensive line for years to come. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about Strange, who played mostly at left guard in 2021. (FIVE YEARS!?) He was terrific at the Senior Bowl. He’s just the type of tone-setting player the Patriots like to pick.

With the 29th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New England Patriots select Tennessee-Chattanooga OL Cole Strange. GRADE: D. I'm not sure where the Patriots ...

That Kentucky defensive line included Joshua Paschal, one of the more underrated prospects in the 2022 draft class (more on him in a few days). NFL Comparison: J.C. Tretter. Selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, Tretter played all over the line for his first few seasons, but eventually became defined as a center, and a very good one. You want to see them dominate “lesser” competition, but you also want to see like as like as much as possible against other NFL prospects. He is more an agile mover than a pure power pig. Bio: A two-star defensive line recruit out of Farragut High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, Strange committed to Tennessee-Chattanooga before his senior season, then decided on Air Force, then switched back because he wanted to be closer to his family. Not that I’m questioning the football acumen of the greatest football coach I’ve ever seen…

Cole Strange worked out at the combine. By Katie McInerney, The Boston Globe. April 29, 2022 | 7:47 AM.

Strange may not be as souped-up athletically, but his combination of body control, awareness and fluidity of movement will help him to stick regardless of whether he’s playing guard or center. The weaknesses: Strange will be reliant on his motor to create movement. The overview: Strange was a sixth-year senior with five years of starting experience due to COVID eligibility.

Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange joined the Patriots as the 29th overall pick in this year's draft. Who is he, though? And what does he bring to the ...

The tackle position, after all, remains somewhat of a question mark with Isaiah Wynn entering the final year of his contract and Trent Brown slowly getting up there in age. Even though the majority of his snaps at Chattanooga came at left guard, Strange has experience in other spots as well. Strange should be expected to take over the starting gig at left guard right away, and to bring some stability to a position that had tons of it before Joe Thuney’s free agency departure in March 2021. Strengths: Strange is an athletic freak, and in fact registered the seventh highest Relative Athletic Score of all guard prospects in the last 35 years. A team captain, Strange was invited to the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine after his senior season. And what does he bring to the table?

“He played well against competition at the Senior Bowl,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick about Strange said during his post-draft media conference call on ...

It comes as no surprise that the Patriots put a lot of stock in this single week, as evidenced by their recent draft selections. Shaq Mason, Joe Thuney, Ja’Whaun Bentley, and Trey Flowers are also among those participating in the event in their respective draft years before becoming contributors on some of the recent Patriots Super Bowl-winning teams. That list includes three first-rounders as well as Kyle Dugger, who was the fifth player selected in the second round of his respective draft. What makes the Senior Bowl an effective evaluation tool in the pre-draft process is that it is the closest simulation of the NFL grind. Players spend a week down in Mobile, AL, and work with NFL coaches on technique and drills against other draft hopefuls. They played a couple SEC teams and his workout was pretty good, as well.

Bill Belichick was very predictable in the 2022 NFL Draft with the Patriots' Cole Strange selection.

It also loves taking its “guys” – players who are likely way higher on the Pats’ boards than anyone else’s. Like when they took wide receiver N’Keal Harry over Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown in 2019. New England loves trading back in the draft. Then, with that pick, they drafted Chattanooga guard Cole Strange, a player many predicted to go in the third round.