NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Round 1 (No. 29 overall, from 49ers through Dolphins and Chiefs) – Cole Strange, OG, Chattanooga: An interior lineman who distinguished himself at the Senior Bowl, he probably takes over at right guard following the trade of Shaq Mason. Allowed one sack over the past three seasons.
Round 2 (50, from Dolphins through Chiefs) – Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor: The 4.28 speed of the 6-2, 181-pounder pretty much says it all. Thornton averaged 15.7 yards over his 143 receptions with the Bears. He should loosen up defenses for a passing game that’s otherwise overloaded with No. 2 receivers.
Round 3 (85) – Marcus Jones, CB, Houston: He plays some corner ... and some receiver ... and some special teams, though the starting job left behind by J.C. Jackson means Jones should probably focus on his day job first. Jones pilfered five passes last season.
Round 4 (121, from Dolphins through Chiefs) – Jack Jones, CB, Arizona State
Round 4 (127) – Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State
Round 4 (137, from Rams through Texans and Panthers) – Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky
Round 6 (183, from Patriots) – Kevin Harris, RB, South Carolina
Round 6 (200) – Sam Roberts, DT, Northwest Missouri State
Round 6 (210, from Rams) – Chasen Hines, OG, LSU
Round 7 (245, from Cowboys through Texans) – Andrew Stueber, OT, Michigan
Grade: D+
The Patriots took the speedy Thornton followed by Jones and Jones, a need clearly existing after Pro Bowler J.C. Jackson left in free agency. Beyond that, the selection of Strange – a very good player by most accounts – also seemed, well, strange ... and perhaps quite premature. A fourth-round pick was spent on record-setting Zappe (5,967 yards and 62 touchdowns in 2021), whose numbers are far more impressive than his physical attributes. Marcus Jones might bear the most watching since he’s an exceptional kick returner and can moonlight as a receiver.