When the New England Patriots selected Cole Strange in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, it was a move that stunned much of the football world.
Strange, a guard out of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was widely projected as a second or third-round pick. Yet, Bill Belichick and his staff saw something different—an athletic lineman with the intelligence and discipline to fit their system, even if it meant reaching past consensus draft value.
Strange's selection was emblematic of Belichick’s approach: prioritizing need and fit over traditional value assessments. He wasn't afraid to make unexpected picks, and in this case, he was betting on Strange’s raw athletic ability and scheme versatility.