Patriots first-round pick Cole Strange thought it was a prank when NE called

The New England Patriots selection of Cole Strange in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft was so surprising that even Strange himself thought it was a prank.

The New England Patriots are notorious for their unique drafting strategy. It’s paid off in the past with selections such as Logan Mankins or Devin McCourty being puzzling at the time, only to pay off in a big way down the line. The Pats are hoping that Cole Strange will eventually be able to join that list too.

The Pats, led by head coach/GM Bill Belichick, unsurprisingly traded down from the number 21 pick to the number 29 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Their selection, however, with that pick was surprising, as Strange ended up coming off the board much higher than expected.

The pick was immediately questioned by many, as Strange was viewed as a Day 2 pick rather than a Day 1 pick. Even Strange was surprised by the Patriot’s choice. And when he got the call from New England, he initially thought it was a prank call.

Here’s how the call went, according to Strange’s dad, Greg Strange (per Mass Live):

"“(Cole) said, ‘Sir, I don’t mean to be disrespectful at all, but I’ve gotta know because I’ve got some crazy friends. Is this a prank?’ The guy said, ‘Hold on just a second.’ And then Bill Belichick got on the phone and of course, unless you’ve been under a rock for the last 20 years, you know Bill Belichick’s voice. As soon as I heard Bill Belichick’s voice, Cole and I both started screaming and hugging and acting crazy. Probably saying a bunch of inappropriate stuff. We were so excited. To his credit, you’ve gotta love the guy, Belichick is sitting there and when we got through, the first break he had, he said, ‘Hey Cole, you’ve gotta act like you’ve been there, man.’"

Everyone, including Cole Strange, was surprised the New England Patriots took him in the first round

The Patriots have a habit of bucking the trend when it comes to the draft, and while many of their picks this year fell in that category, none fit the description more so than Cole Strange. New England could have very well taken him in the third round. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay couldn’t help but laugh when New England selected Strange in the middle of his press conference.

Strange believed that he was probably going to go at some point in the second round, so his reaction to being selected at the end of the first, while hilarious, isn’t super surprising. It was another pick that only the Patriots saw coming at the time.

While Strange’s selection certainly wasn’t what many were expecting, he should be able to fill in right away for the Patriots in 2022. After trading away Shaq Mason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to clear some cap space, Strange should be able to slide right into the vacant left guard spot on New England’s offensive line.

Strange is solid in both run and pass protection, and he has great agility to stay in front of his defender for someone of his size. He may not have been a surefire first-round pick, but that doesn’t mean that he isn’t a good prospect.

Considering how good Belichick has been at developing offensive linemen throughout his tenure with the Patriots, it wouldn’t necessarily be wise to bet against him turning Strange into a top-tier lineman.

Even though everyone, Strange included, may have initially thought it was a prank, the Patriots got themselves a solid interior lineman who will help keep their promising second-year quarterback, Mac Jones, upright in the pocket for many seasons to come.