The New England Patriots needed to get faster this offseason and Bill Belichick addressed that issue doing the 2022 NFL Draft.
While he didn’t exactly address the team’s needs the way fans and critics predicted with mock draft after mock draft, he did select some intriguing and strange prospects who could turn out to be steals in the draft or end up being head scratchers.
Bill Belichick left New England Patriots fans and critics scratching their heads
With needs at corner back and linebacker, Belichick’s decision to trade back in the first round and then reach for an offensive lineman he could’ve selected in the third round drew criticism summed up nicely by NBC Sports’ Peter King, who questioned Belichick’s thought process and approach to the draft.
"“Picking Cole Strange, a decent prospect from Tennessee-Chattanooga, 29th overall was a naïve move by Bill Belichick,” King wrote in his Football Morning in America column. “There was no indication he’d have gotten picked before New England’s next pick at 54; even if he was picked before then, so what?”"
That wasn’t the only head-scratching selection. Belichick went on to address the team’s need at wide receiver but not before passing on a few prospects with the Strange move. He also selected two running backs at positions where many believe he should’ve addressed the team’s linebacker needs.
But Bill Belichick is a six-time Super Bowl winning coach for a reason. And because of that, he really needs to hit on this draft primarily due to past failures in the draft. It’s one thing to select a player who just doesn’t pan out, it’s another to select players higher than they should be selected. So clearly, the players selected will need to show that Belichick’s genius is stronger than ever or at least still relevant.
Here are four players Belichick and the New England Patriots need to hit on in 2022.
New England Patriots fourth-round pick Pierre Strong Jr.
Selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, running back Pierre Strong Jr is the one player on this list who doesn’t need to contribute right away.
In fact, given the depth the New England Patriots have at the running back position, it would be no surprise at all if the South Dakota State prospect sat his rookie season, especially with veteran running back James White returning to the mix.
At 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, Strong brings versatility to the backfield that the Patriots love. Like White and players before him like Dion Lewis, Shane Vereen, Rex Burkhead and Danny Woodhead, Strong Jr would serve as that change of pace back who can catch the ball out of the backfield and make things happen in the open field.
In that respect, he could be one of the steals in the draft, especially if injuries plague the running back position. Or perhaps the rookie running back could impress enough that he forces out a veteran sooner rather than later. That could be J.J. Taylor, or it could even be James White.
With all that said, Pierre Strong Jr. does have Patriots written all over him and if he can prove he can contribute in the upcoming season, that along would validate Belichick’s reasoning of drafting two running backs over other needs the team had going into the 2022 NFL Draft.
The icing on the cake would be that the Patriots would have great depth and versatility at the position.
New England Patriots second-round pick Tyquan Thornton
Speed, speed, speed. The New England Patriots drafted plenty of it in wide receiver Tyquan Thornton.
But in the NFL, it takes more than blazing speed to be a playmaker, especially in the Patriots’ offense.
Drafted in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, many NFL insiders feel Bill Belichick reached for a player he could’ve selected in a later round, but if the Patriots really like a player, why take a chance he won’t be around by the next time they select?
In Thornton, the Patriots are getting a player who is on the skinny side but did finish his last season at Baylor with 62 receptions for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns. Obviously, the speed and talent is there, but can that translate to anything for Mac Jones who does need a down-the-field target?
It obviously depends on whether Thornton can be more than a one-trick pony. It will also depend on how he can find a way to use his thine body frame as an advantage in the NFL.
"“Just staying true to myself. Just always look at myself in the mirror. It’s my body type. It’s my frame,” Thornton said, when asked if the team gave him a target weight. “I don’t see myself getting 225 pounds. I’ve been thin all my life, but just getting stronger in the weight room. You know, building more muscle so I can have that fast twitch.”"
The combination of speed and strength could turn Tyquan Thornton into an effective playmaker as soon as this season, which would at least prove that Bill Belichick can draft receivers.
New England Patriots first-round pick Cole Strange
The first-round pick in this year’s 2022 NFL Draft for the New England Patriots was a strange pick to say the least.
That’s Cole Strange by the way.
What was Bill Belichick thinking in reaching for an offensive lineman who many teams forecasted as a Day 2 or Day 3 value. With a need a cornerback, linebacker and wide receiver, the Patriots coach found a way to perplex fans and critics with this selection not because of the player but because of who was available when he made that selection.
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While surprised and shocked himself, this puts a lot of pressure on Strange to be…well the next Logan Mankins. Belichick absolutely must hit on this pick and the Chattanooga product is at least impressing fellow teammates like veteran center David Andrews.
"“I think Cole is doing a great job,” Andrews told reporters during OTAs. “I remember what it was like being a rookie. So, there’s a lot on his plate. I think he’s done a good job, coming in and really working hard. Trying to learn it. Obviously, the biggest jumps, you know, really come in training camp. “But, you know, he’s done a good job. He works really hard. But like all of us, we’ve got a long way to go.”"
At 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, Strange will have a lot of eyes on him just because of where he was selected. Also, not only would his performance justify being selected in the first round, but it would also justify Belichick trading Shaq Mason this offseason and letting Joe Thuney walk a season ago. If he can produce like either of those two, perhaps fans will forgive the Patriots coach for such a strange selection…no pun intended.
New England Patriots fourth-round pick Jack Jones
When it comes to upside, fourth-round pick Jack Jones comes in number one on this list.
While it is a lot of pressure to place on a player selected on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, the New England Patriots, particularly Bill Belichick may just have struck gold with Jones who has already seen work during minicamp and organized team activities with the first team defense.
Now, is that more about his talent or is it more about the team’s lack of a CB1 with the departure of J.C. Jackson?
Either way, Jack Jones is getting an opportunity to prove his upside and prove former college coach Herm Edwards right in believing the Patriots fourth-round pick could be a top cornerback in the NFL.
"“Honestly, he’s going to a place where – when you think about the system and how they use their players – I think it’s a good fit for him,” Edwards said in an interview with Patriots Wire. “I think he needs that type of fit. He needs the strictness of what’s asked to do, of what’s required.”"
Edwards believes the talent, skillset and athleticism is there for Jack Jones to be a special talent in the NFL, especially under Belichick. Although a bit skinny at just 175 pounds, Belichick really needs for Jones to not only grow into his body, but also grow into a role in a similar way as both Malcolm Butler and J.C. Jackson did as undrafted rookies.
In fact, Butler could be a nice mentor for Jones while he and fellow rookie defensive back Marcus Jones learn the ropes of the NFL. Perhaps Belichick is counting on that and hoping he found a Day 3 surprise to fill a void he should’ve taken care of a lot earlier in the draft.