Patriots

First-round pick Cole Strange, all other 2022 Patriots draftees are officially signed

The Patriots officially signed the No. 29 pick on Thursday.

New England Patriots offensive lineman Cole Strange takes part in drills at the NFL football team's practice facility. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

By Tom Westerholm

June 23, 2022

The Patriots agreed to a contract with offensive lineman Cole Strange on Thursday, their first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Strange and two other selections — wide receiver Tyquan Thornton and quarterback Bailey Zappe — became the final members of the Patriots’ 2022 draft class to sign with the team. The team announced the deals in a press release Thursday afternoon.

Strange was a surprise pick at No. 29, but the 23-year-old led Chattanooga’s offensive line to a successful season as a senior.

“No matter where I got drafted or where I got picked, I was going to push the exact same way with the same chip on my shoulder that I’ve always had,” Strange said shortly after the draft. “I know that this is just the beginning and whenever I get there, I’m going to have to put in a lot of work. And that’s just how I’ve always felt, really. No matter where I went.”

Tyquan Thornton shared a photo of himself signing his deal on Instagram with the caption “To all the youngins in the trenches, keep going it’s possible.”

Thornton — who grabbed 62 receptions for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns in his final season at Miami — expressed excitement about being selected by the Patriots after the draft.

“The Patriots, it’s a very historical team,” he told reporters. “I knew a lot about them, and I was impressed what I thought just being there in New England and just being there where you’re in the same hall that Tom Brady once walked through and those other greats that walked through the building. I was very excited to be there.”

Zappe completed 475 of his 686 passes for 5,987 yards with 62 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his final season with Western Kentucky.

“Getting that call from the Patriots was amazing, and I am more excited to get there, get to work and meet my teammates, meet everyone a part of the organization and get ready to start playing some football,” Zappe told reporters after the draft.