What Robert Kraft thought of Patriots' surprising Cole Strange pick

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Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots raised plenty of eyebrows Thursday night by selecting Chattanooga offensive guard Cole Strange with the No. 29 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

But Belichick's boss apparently has his back on this one.

While introducing Strange as a Patriot at Gillette Stadium on Friday, team owner Robert Kraft dropped a one-liner justifying New England's decision to spend a first-round pick on a player many believed would have been available in the later rounds.

Curran: Strange could be Mankins 2.0, but he can't force the opponent to punt

"I know a lot of people sometimes question when we take an offensive lineman in the first round," Kraft said. "The last time we did it was ‘05 with Logan Mankins, and that turned out pretty well."

While the Patriots have drafted two offensive tackles in Round 1 since 2005 -- Nate Solder in 2011 and Isaiah Wynn in 2018 -- Strange indeed is the first interior lineman New England has taken in the first round since Mankins, who was a finalist for the Patriots Hall of Fame this year and is one of the best interior linemen in franchise history.

At 6-foot-5, 307 pounds with impressive agility, Strange has the potential to be a Day 1 starter for the Patriots and fills a glaring need after the team lost guards Shaq Mason and Ted Karras this offseason. He described his playing style as "aggressive and relentless" Friday and was one of Phil Perry's "Prototypical Patriots," so he seems like a strong fit.

The question is whether the Patriots jumped the gun on Strange at No. 29, and whether they could have waited until the second or third rounds to draft him while addressing a more pressing need like cornerback or linebacker at 29.

While Kraft has been critical of Belichick's drafting in recent years, the Patriots owner gave his public stamp of approval Friday, noting that Strange will help protect the franchise's prized asset in second-year quarterback Mac Jones.

"We think we're privileged now to have a great young quarterback, and we just solidified the middle with Cole Strange here," Kraft said.

The Patriots have three more picks on Day 2 of the NFL Draft -- No. 54, No. 85 and No. 94 -- and the spotlight will be on Belichick and his staff after a surprising first pick.

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