The New England Patriots made a surprising move when they drafted guard Cole Strange out of Tennessee-Chattanooga, in the first round (No. 29 overall).
But, that’s not who is drawing comparisons to one of the best linemen in the Patriots’ recent history.
“I saw some Shaq Mason in new Patriots interior offensive lineman Chasen Hines and would’ve loved to roll the dice with him late Day 3,” Trench Warfare’s Brandon Thorn tweeted on Saturday. “Dude is a wrecking ball as a puller with serious juice and power.”
Hines was one of three Patriots selected in the sixth round (No. 210) and he’s drawing some attention from Thorn, who specializes in scouting both offensive and defensive linemen.
Mason was a mauler in the run game and allowed just one sack in 2022. It might sound optimistic to compare a sixth-round pick to a pillar of two New England Super Bowls. However, Mason was not highly coveted in the draft either.
Mason was a late fourth-round pick (No. 131) in the 2015 NFL Draft, with similar measurables as Hines, who measured in at 6-foot-3, 327 pounds.
The Patriots like to have a big run mauler to slot into right guard, and Hines certainly fits that description.
