New England Patriots rookie guard Cole Strange had a wild first season.
He was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, and went through the ebbs and flows of his first year on the big stage. Now that his first season is over, he has time to take a deep breath and reflect on things.
Strange struggled at the beginning of the season. He was benched multiple times, but he began to play better as the year went on. He started at left guard in the game against the New York Jets on October 30 and Indianapolis Colts on November 6.
He then switched off with Isaiah Wynn in both of those games. Even still, he ended up starting all 17 games for the Patriots, despite the bumps along the way.
“I guess I shouldn’t say I haven’t been surprised with anything, but I kind of focused my mind before I got here [on the fact that] it was going to be very difficult,” said Strange, according to NESN’s Zack Cox. “It was going to be not just difficult physically, but in every regard — mentally, learning a new playbook, playing against guys that are the best in the world.
“I guess there’s no way to put it other than it was all tough. But I feel like I got better as the year went on, and I feel good moving forward.”
Strange will be one of several Patriots rookies who will look to take a major leap in their second season. New England’s offensive line struggled this season, and a productive campaign for Strange could go a long way for the line as a whole.
