Patriots take Pierre Strong Jr. in Round 4

The New England Patriots selected South Dakota State running back Pierre Strong Jr. in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, No. 127 overall.

Strong rushed for over 1,000 yards in three of his four seasons at South Dakota State. He's coming off his best campaign with the Jackrabbits after posting 1,673 yards (7 yards per carry) and 18 touchdowns.

The Patriots also bolstered their backfield in the draft last year, selecting Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth round. Damien Harris, who led the team with 929 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in 2021, is entering the last year of his contract this season. Stevenson amassed 606 yards and five scores on the ground through 12 appearances as a rookie.

New England added another running back to the group in the 2022 draft, taking Kevin Harris in the sixth round.

Scouting profile: Pierre Strong Jr.

Strong might be the biggest sleeper RB in this draft class if he ends up on an offense that runs an outside-zone system and gets an opportunity to earn touches. Though slightly undersized, he's lightning quick and can score from anywhere on the field if he's given enough of a lane to hit his stride. On that note, he needs competent blocking to help him reach his potential, since he's not the most elusive and doesn't break many tackles. He also showed enough as a pass-catcher (56 catches over the last three seasons) to suggest that will translate to the pros.