New England made an unexpected choice in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday, and even the Los Angeles Rams were taken by surprise.
Using the 29th pick obtained through a trade, the Patriots picked Cole Strange, a guard from Tennessee-Chattanooga. Strange was considered a two-star prospect in high school but grew into a four-year starter in college.
While the Rams did not have a first-round pick due to trading it for Matthew Stafford, they observed the draft like everyone else. General manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay were talking to reporters when they saw Bill Belichick’s selection.
McVay noted, “Strange just went,” to which Snead reacted, “Oh my, UT Chattanooga to the first round.” McVay added, “How about that? And we wasted our time watching him thinking he’d be at 104, maybe.”
In the last six drafts, Los Angeles has traded away their first-round pick each time and currently lacks a first-rounder for 2023, potentially extending the streak to seven.
Having won the Super Bowl in February, the Rams do not seem too concerned about their lack of first-round picks, as evident in the video of their reaction to the surprising Patriots pick.
