It is always quite difficult to predict just who the New England Patriots will end up taking in the opening round of an NFL Draft. This year was no different.

The Patriots pulled off a notable surprise with their No. 29 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, selecting former Chattanooga guard Cole Strange. The versatile guard capped off a potent campaign in his final season at Chattanooga, where he earned first-team All-SoCon honors and went on to play in the 2022 Senior Bowl.

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A full day has not yet passed since the Patriots picked Strange, and Mac Jones is already bonding with his new guard. Strange noted on Friday that Jones reached out to him and after touching base with the Patriots quarterback, he had a simple reaction.

“It felt like home honestly,” Strange said.

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Strange further added that he is getting dinner with Jones later on Friday.

For now, it remains to be seen whether he will be featured as a left or right guard. The Patriots do have Michael Onwenu as an option to be their go-to starter out at left guard, as he logged 58.6 percent of snaps played in 16 regular season games last season. More so, the team has an opening at right guard after it opted to trade Shaq Mason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month.

Regardless of where he will end up playing, Strange is aiming to make the most out of his upcoming run in New England.

“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. “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.”

The Patriots now have their sights set on continuing to retool their roster over the remainder of this year's draft. It sure will be noteworthy to see whether they will once again haul in an offensive lineman.