New England picked Strange 29th overall in 2022.
The New England Patriots made a controversial decision in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft; they picked Chattanooga guard Cole Strange at No. 29 overall. Earlier this week, they decided to decline Strange’s fifth-year contract option after three up-and-down seasons.
With Strange having yet to live up to his draft status, tit is no surprise that the Patriots are going in a different direction in a recent 2022 re-draft from SB Nation’s James Dator and J.P. Acosta.
29. New England Patriots: George Karlaftis, EDGE
Original Pick: Cole Strange, OG
Karlaftis plays a big role in how the Chiefs win up front, a hard charging pass rusher with heavy hands. The Patriots need to restock on their defensive line, and Karlaftis would bring a lot of power to that front.
Karlaftis has played in 49 regular season and 10 playoff games since joining the Kansas City Chiefs 30th overall, registering a combined 32.5 sacks. Strange, meanwhile, started the first 27 games of his career at left guard before suffering a torn patellar tendon that kept him out of the lineup for more than a year; he only returned to the field in December 2024.