The New England Patriots had high hopes for Cole Strange when they selected the offensive lineman in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but things have certainly changed.

Strange missed most of the 2024 campaign while recovering from a knee injury he suffered the year prior, playing in three games and making two starts.

Now, the 26-year-old may find himself fighting for his job with the Patriots looking to overhaul their offensive line heading into the NFL Draft.

“Another player on the bubble is former 2022 first-round guard Cole Strange,” wrote Michael DeVito of Musket Fire. “When Strange is actually on the field, he’s not very good. Before getting injured, he was unceremoniously benched by Bill Belichick in 2023. You should almost never take a guard in the first round and certainly not significantly reach for one as the Pats did for Strange.”

Strange has played both guard and center for New England, but he hasn’t worked out particularly well at either spot. During his brief time on the field in 2024, he posted a 48.6 overall grade at Pro Football Focus, and he registered grades of 54.6 and 64.6, respectively, in 2022 and 2023.

The Pats had probably the worst offensive line in the NFL this past year, and all they’ve really done to repair it thus far is sign veteran tackle Morgan Moses in free agency.

Surely, the Patriots will be making some additions in the draft later this month, and while Strange may not be in danger of getting cut, it’s within reason that he could begin 2025 on the bench depending on what New England decides to do in a few weeks.

If that does end up being the case, it will represent just another example of poor decision-making on the part of the Pats in recent years.