Center Cut: Patriots Draft LSU C Chasen Hines with Final Pick in 6th Round

New England adds some depth at center with Chasen Hines, who could be a solid lineman in various run schemes.

FOXBORO - The New England Patriots filled a need for depth at center by selecting offensive lineman Chasen Hines of LSU with the 210th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. 

Hines arrived at LSU as a defensive lineman before transitioning to the offensive line in 2018. He is a former US Army All-American, as well as a consensus 4-star recruit. 

Listed at 6-3, 327, Hines has the size and strength to be an irresistible force against defenders in the run game. He features a stout anchor and sturdy base in pass protection

Still, he does enter the NFL with some question marks. 

Hines has a tendency to ease up on his movements upon contact. As a result, he is prone to stalemates in his battles with the opposition. When pass rushers are allowed to reach his edges, he has struggled to recover.

Overall, his size and surprisingly good mobility will allow him to provide stout run protection, as he did for the LSU Tigers. 

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Marcus Jones

Tyquan Thornton

Cole Strange

Bill Belichick, who entered 2022 with by far the most trades of any NFL general manager in the the last 20 years of the draft, orchestrated one before the draft and three more in the first three rounds.

In the first round, the Patriots shocked the NFL - but filled an immediate need - by trading down and taking Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange 29th overall.

In the second round they moved up four spots - from No. 54 to No. 50 - to take the fastest receiver in the draft, Baylor's Tyquan Thornton.

With their first pick in the third round the Patriots finally stayed put at No. 85 and selected Houston diminutive-but-versatile cornerback Marcus Jones.

In the fourth round they took troubled-but-talented Arizona State cornerback Jack Jones.

With their second pick in Saturday's fourth round New England went for even more speed with South Dakota St. running back Pierre Strong Jr.

At pick No. 137 the Patriots pulled a bit of a shocker by drafting prolific Western Kentucky quarterback Bailey Zappe.

With their first pick in the sixth round (183 overall), the Patriots went with South Carolina running back Kevin Harris. He was the Gamecocks' feature back and an first-team All-SEC runner in 2020 before undergoing back surgery and dropping off last season.

With their second sixth-round pick (200th overall), the Patriots drafted small-college star defensive tackle Sam Roberts. At 6-4, 290 pounds, he was not invited to the Senior Bowl or NFL Scouting Combine but was the winner of the 2021 Cliff Harris Award as the best small-college defensive player in the nation at Northwest Missouri State.

The Patriots entered the draft needing help at linebacker, defensive end, cornerback and, of course, Belichick's favorite - offensive lineman. In various mock drafts, they have been linked to Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd, Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean, Alabama receiver Jameson Williams, Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks, Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis, Boston College offensive tackle Zion Johnson, Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam and Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning.

A year ago, the Patriots drafted Alabama and Davey O'Brien Award-winning quarterback Mac Jones 15th overall and his Pro-Bowl rookie season led them to a playoff berth. Jones led all rookies in wins, completion percentage, passing yards and touchdowns.

After an impressive seven-game winning streak in the middle of the season, New England lost three of its last four to finish 10-7 before being pummeled, 47-17, in the Wild Card game by the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills.

The Patriots - who were only a disappointing 4-5 at Gillette Stadium - finished with the NFL's second-best defense. Only the Bills (289) allowed fewer points than their 303. New England's +159-point differential trailed only the Bills (+194) and Dallas Cowboys (+172).

This offseason Belichick has retained most of the team's core veterans and even gone back-to-the-future with a couple familiar names from the glorious past.

Marcus Jones

Tyquan Thornton

Cole Strange

New England re-signed kicker Nick Folk, running back James White, offensive tackle Trent Brown, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, special teams maven and captain Matthew Slater and 2021 leading tackler Ja'Whaun Bentley. The Patriots are also bringing back defensive backs Devin McCourty (who turns 35 in August) and Malcolm Butler (who retired last season).

Newcomers include former Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker, former Giants safety Jabrill Peppers, Texans cornerback Terrance Mitchell and hybrid running back/receiver Ty Montgomery, signed from the Saints to fill the dual-threat role filled by Cordarrelle Patterson in 2018 and taken to the next level by Deebo Samuel in San Francisco in 2021.

And, biggest of all, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. With no official replacement yet, speculation is that Belichick will assume play-calling duties for the first time in his legendary career.

2022 Patriots Draft Board

1. (29) Cole Strange, OL, Chattanooga

2. (50) Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor

3. (85) Marcus Jones, CB, Houston

4. (121) Jack Jones, CB, Arizona State

4. (127) Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State

4. (137) Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky

6. (183) Kevin Harris, RB, South Carolina

6. (200) Sam Roberts, DT, Northwest Missouri State

6:  (210) Chasen Hines, OL, LSU

Round 7: 245