For the 2022 NFL draft, the New England Patriots had pick No. 29, and coming off of Mac Jones' rookie year, head coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick took a risk and selected Chattanooga guard Cole Strange, which was viewed as a surprise at the time.
Two years later, Strange has played just 27 of 34 possible games due to a torn patellar tendon suffered against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. And, even when he's been on the field, Strange hasn't exactly looked like a first-round talent.
This week, The 33rd Team's Ian Valentino put together a re-draft for 2022, and not surprisingly the Patriots didn't take Strange again. In fact, he wasn't even selected. Instead, he had New England taking Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning, who the New Orleans Saints really drafted.
Here's what Valentino said about the pick:
"As mentioned earlier, Penning has had consistent issues, but there have also been areas of improvement that keep him in the first round.
Cole Strange was a stunning pick on draft night, and he's struggled to adjust to the NFL's strength and size. The New England Patriots still need a long-term starter at left tackle, so going with Penning better addresses a more pressing weakness."
At this point, the Patriots had Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown as their starting tackles, but it was fairly obvious that neither was going to be a long-term solution for the team. Penning hasn't been great in his limited opportunities with New Orleans, but he could've helped New England in 2023 when they struggled to keep rushers from getting around the edge.
