Two rounds down.
The Patriots made moves on the first two nights of the 2022 NFL Draft, trading down to the 29th overall pick to grab Cole Strange in the first round, and then up from No. 54 to No. 50 in the second for Tyquan Thornton. New England kept its first third-rounder, selecting Marcus Jones at No. 85 overall, but traded away pick 94 to the Carolina Panthers for pick 137 and a third-round pick in 2023.
Day 3 is sure to be even busier, with the Patriots holding seven picks entering the last four rounds. In the meantime, get to know the three newest Patriots draft picks.
Round 1
Cole Strange, Interior Offensive Lineman, University of Tennessee -- Chattanooga
Pick 29 (No. 29 overall)
Even still poised with the No 21 overall pick, the Patriots thought the top guy on their board at that point would still be around a few picks later. They placed that bet, traded with Kansas City to add depth in later rounds, and took Devin Cole Strange with their first pick in the draft. Despite being from a FCS school, the 6-foot-6, 300-pounder out of UTC increased his stock price at the Senior Bowl -- a performance that really put coach Bill Belichick on to him. Surely the NFL Combine helped, with his athleticism scores sticking out among guard/center groups.
Strange, a Knoxville native, played six years of football after an extra year of COVID-19 eligibility and a redshirt freshman year after transferring. The 23-year-old had two FBS offers -- from Army and Air Force -- but left the Air Force Academy after basic training. Strange learned he was named a 2021 first-team All-American while playing Mario Kart with his sister, has a degree in Psychology, and is a little old school -- playing with a single-bar facemask and no gloves.
Read more about the player here.
See what the experts are saying about the pick here.
Round 2
Tyquan Thornton, Wide Receiver, Baylor University
Pick 22 (No. 50 overall)
For the second pick, New England traded up four spots with Kansas City to select Thornton, the fastest wide receiver in the 2022 draft class. He had a full scholarship to LSU for track out of high school and actually hoped to be an Olympic sprinter growing up. That likely had something to do with his 4.28-second 40-yard dash, 130-inch broad jump and 36.5-inch vertical logged at the NFL Draft Combine. At 6-foot-3 and 182 pounds, he also played quarterback in high school before focusing on receiver, modeling his game after Davante Adams -- just with a little more speed.
The Miami native proudly speaks about Floridian football players being built differently, stirring up a rivalry with counterparts from Texas. Despite that, he went off to Baylor for college football and to major in communications, turning down offers from both Florida and Miami. With the Bears, he ranked 10th all-time in program history for receiving yards (2,242) and eighth in career touchdowns (19). Thornton is one of four siblings and has two young boys. He was with his whole family in Brickell when he got the call.
Read more about the player here.
See what the experts are saying about the pick here.
Round 3
Marcus Jones, Defensive Back, University of Houston
Pick 21 (No. 85 overall)
The 23-year-old is just 5-foot-8 but was described as one of the most versatile players in his draft class with the ability to play all three phases of the game and punt return with the best of them. That versatility also translates off the field, where Jones likes to write, produce, and perform his own music under the artist name ElliotJ. Last year he released a rap album called "Complications."
Jones was born in Baton Rouge, Lou., but with his father serving in the Army, the family moved around quite a bit. He found his place in new cities like Dayton, Ohio and Enterprise, Ala. through sports, and was a tri-sport athlete also participating in track and basketball. He transferred to Houston after starring at Troy University.
Read more about the player here.
See what the experts are saying about the pick here.
