The Los Angeles Rams didn’t have a pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but that didn’t stop GM Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay from fielding questions from reporters. During their first-round press conference, the New England Patriots selected Chattanooga guard Cole Strange with the 29th overall pick. When McVay and Snead saw the pick, their reaction was priceless.
[the_ad_group id=”60938″]
Rams’ brass throws shade at Patriots’ first-round pick
Following the Patriots’ selection, which popped up in the middle of the Rams’ media availability, Snead and McVay responded with a hilarious outburst of shock and awe.
The Rams' reaction to the Pats taking Cole Strange is incredible 😂
(via @AndrewSiciliano)pic.twitter.com/YYzhRGiNeX
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS)
“Oh my, UT-Chattanooga to the first round,” Snead said with a smile.
“And how about that? We wasted our time watching him, thinking he’d be at 104, maybe,” McVay said as the room erupted with laughter.
Strange ranked 114th overall on Pro Football Network’s Consensus Big Board, so it’s not like McVay’s astonishment was unwarranted. This was an in-the-moment reaction that (probably unintentionally) took a rather large shot at the Patriots, the Rams’ Super Bowl LII opponents.
Why such a ‘Strange’ pick?
The Patriots needed to fill a hole at right guard, and Strange can plug it. That said, from a value standpoint, the pick was puzzling. The Patriots had other needs, and New England simply overlooked those to take a likely third-round talent.
Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean, Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., Houston defensive end Logan Hall, and Central Michigan offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann remain on the board. Still, the Patriots took a guy they clearly feel can solve a problem following the departure of Shaq Mason, who was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month.
The Patriots still have 10 more picks in the final two days of the NFL Draft, including a second-round selection and two third-round picks. Evidently, they felt Strange was better than what the media perceived him to be.
Though, the reigning Super Bowl champs also obviously disagree with that assessment. The Rams don’t pick until the 104th overall selection in the third round.
