Patriots Draft Analysis: Reach or Right?
With almost one week having passed since its start, the experts are offering their thoughts and evaluations of the New England Patriots performance in the 2022 NFL Draft.
In total, the Patriots made 10 selections, seven of which came on the third day in rounds 4-7.
New England clearly raised some eyebrows by drafting Chattanooga offensive lineman Cole Strange with the 29th overall selection. They continued to confound the logic of national pundits by making several selections which went against the grain of predictive ‘big-boards.’
For the Patriots, the outlook [by consensus] is … not great.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) offers its draft grades for all 32 NFL teams. Here's a roundup of their assessment, (including PFF’s comments ), along with Patriots Country’s analysis.
Day 1:
Round 1: (29) — G Cole Strange, Chattanooga
Pro Football Focus Analysis:
“Cole Strange is the biggest reach of Round 1, as the Chattanooga Moc was 86th on PFF’s big board. His anchor and footwork are suspect, making it highly unlikely he slots in as a major contributor early on. On a positive note, Strange is a versatile and elite athlete who excels in space. The 6-foot-5, 307-pounder ranked above the 89th percentile at the position historically at the combine in the 40-yard dash (5.03 second), broad jump (120-inches), three-cone drill (7.44 seconds) and pro agility (4.5 seconds). Before blowing up the event in Indianapolis, Strange impressed many across the league by spending almost all of the Senior Bowl at center despite not playing a single down at the position for Chattanooga.”
Patriots Country Analysis:
Strange is a tenacious run-blocker with the quickness to generate sudden impact on power runs. He has also displayed an ability to seal defenders on zone runs. He has outstanding upper-body strength, as well as the large hands necessary to grasp defenders in pass protection. In addition to his size, he has fluid movement to mirror his opponent, as well as to recover when he struggles with a defender.
This should be music to the ears of the Patriots, especially quarterback Mac Jones. Despite a stellar rookie campaign, Jones most often struggled in 2021 when opposing defenses attempted to confuse the Pats’ quarterback by deploying strategically placed blitzes from the second and third level of the defense. With a complete, healthy offensive line, the task of protecting Jones against such an attack becomes a bit easier. It also takes a little grit — a trait which Strange exudes.
Several analysts will continue to debate whether head coach Bill Belichick and the front office should be criticized for leaving seemingly more dynamic talent at positions of need on the board. However, to classify Strange as a ‘reach’ might be a bit short sighted, prior to getting the chance to evaluate his fit in New England’s system.
Day 2:
Round 2: (50) — WR Tyquan Thornton, Baylor;
Round 3: (85) — CB Marcus Jones, Houston
Pro Football Focus Analysis::
“After the Saints reached for their pick at 49th overall, the Patriots topped them by taking Tyquan Thornton — the 192nd ranked player on the PFF big board. Everyone knows that he brings deep speed to the table after clocking a 4.28-second 40-yard at the NFL scouting combine. While those wheels are a huge plus, his play strength at the next level is cause for concern. Thornton isn’t much of an after-the-catch threat, as evidenced by averaging 3.9 yards after the catch and breaking just 11 tackles on 143 career receptions.
Marcus Jones has extremely concerning size at 5-foot-8, 177-pounds, and that pushed him down this far in the draft, but at No. 85 overall for New England, Jones provides immense value. He is a fluid athlete who is, at a minimum, going to be a quality return specialist, as he was the highest-graded kick returner in the country last season. He’s not going to be playing outside corner as he has for Houston the last three years, but he can contribute in the slot due to his physical mindset and quickness, and maybe even play snaps on offense.”
Patriots Country Analysis:
Again, Thornton has been called a ‘reach’ by more than a handful of analysts, based on his placement on pre-draft big boards — mostly due to concerns over his lack of physical force to break tackles. However, he fills a specific need for New England, and is expected to do so sooner than later. When at his best, Thornton provides the Patriots with electric speed [having run a blazing 4.28 in the 40-yard-dash at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine], with an ability to run past any defender in his path. In conjunction with his speed, Thornton uses long strides to glide past defenders to create separation. During his time at Baylor, Thornton served in the ‘X’ receiver role. It is anticipated that he will continue in the same capacity in New England. As a result, he will provide quarterback Mac Jones with immediate value as a deep threat, and the type of receiver for which defenses will always have to account.
Jones’ lack of size may have deterred some potential suitors at the pro level. However, his detractors may be doing a disservice to themselves by underestimating him. Apparently, it was not enough to cause the Patriots to shy from selecting his services. Jones is a phenomenal athlete with breakaway speed — known for displaying tremendous athleticism on pass defense and outstanding open-field tackles. While Jones projects best as a slot corner, his elite return skills make him an intriguing option for the Patriots, who place a premium on special teams prowess. During his redshirt senior season in 2021, Jones returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown with 17 seconds left against 19th-ranked SMU to win the game 44–37 — undoubtedly catching New England’s sharp eye.
Day 3:
Round 4: (121) — CB Jack Jones, Arizona State
Round 4: (127) — RB Pierre Strong Jr., South Dakota State
Round 4: (137) — QB Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky
Round 6: (183) — RB Kevin Harris, South Carolina
Round 6: (200) — Edge Sam Roberts, Northwest Missouri State
Round 6: (210) — G Chasen Hines, LSU
Round 7: (245) — T Andrew Stueber, Michigan
Pro Football Focus Analysis:
“It’s interesting that Bailey Zappe comes off the board here before Sam Howell, but it’s still good value for a quarterback who put up gaudy numbers last season at Western Kentucky. Zappe projects as an ideal backup for Mac Jones in New England after earning a 95.8 PFF grade in 2021.”
Patriots Country Analysis:
Though Zappe may have been New England’s eye-opening pick on day three, several of the Pats’ Saturday selections are capable of providing late-round value. Strong is the type of runner who can move with ease between the tackles, while demonstrating great patience in finding his seam. Once he does so, he has an above-average burst through the hole and the speed necessary to break away. Despite some struggles as a backfield receiver, he still averaged 6.8 yards per catch in 2021. Also, it would be worth watching both Hines and Stueber to add depth and youth to the Patriots offensive line.
Overall PFF Draft Grade: D
Overall Patriots Country Draft Grade: C+
