Meet Patriots first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez

The New England Patriots selected Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez with their first-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft.

Many NFL analysts believed it was the “steal of the first round,” as Gonzalez was the second-ranked corner in the draft class. Furthermore, the Patriots desperately needed to fill the cornerback role. The Patriots also acquired an extra pick as they strategically traded back three spots with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Gonzalez was a little surprised he wasn’t taken earlier but told the Patriots media, “Everything happens for a reason, and they put their trust in me; I’ll put the trust back.”

Before we get into more detail about the draft pick, let’s look at his profile.

Player: Christian Gonzalez

Position: Outside cornerback

School: Oregon

Age: 21

Size: 6’1 3/8″, 197 lbs

Workout Metrics: 4.38 40-yard dash, 41 1/2″ vertical jump

Gonzalez projects to be a day-one starter with the Patriots and potentially become their number 1 option. New England has lacked height at cornerback for quite a while, and at 6-foot-1, 197, he adds the size needed to fit into a Patriots’ scheme. The rookie spent his first two college seasons at Colorado, where he recorded 73 tackles in 18 games and was awarded an All-Pac 12 nomination after the 2021 season. After two seasons, he entered the transfer portal and joined the Oregon Ducks. Playing just one season in green and yellow, Gonzalez started 12 games, registering 50 tackles and four interceptions. After his season, he was named to the All-Pac 12 first team, the first of his career.

Along with his size, Gonzalez brings something unique to his game as he’s a speed demon running a 4.38 40-yard dash, sixth among all positions at the combine. Gonzalez earned a 9.95 relative athletic score from Kent Lee Platte or RAS.football. The score considers your size and metrics to create a 1-10 score. A 9.95 out of ten is very impressive. If we look at the statistics surrounding his game, he placed in the 89th percentile for his height alone, with his 40-yard dash and broad jump.

The Patriots rookie camp will take place May 12-14, and although Gonzalez has already been in the facility, this will be his first time working with the coaches one-on-one. Gonzalez projects to be the starting outside cornerback to start the season. The Patriots didn’t have a lockdown outer corner, and it showed that receivers like Tee Higgins and Stefon Diggs had no trouble with contested catches late last season.

And, of course, the cornerback has lots of versatility, as he was part of the Duck’s punt and coverage unit last season. In addition, he’s no stranger to special teams, which makes the pick even more intriguing to coach Bill Belichick. When asked about the opportunity to learn from Belichick, Gonzalez was ecstatic. “I’m very excited to play under him,” Gonzalez told the Patriots media. “You can’t get a better coach than that.”

Gonzalez had the opportunity to meet Patriots ownership and tour Gillette Stadium last weekend.

“I’m just excited for the opportunity to learn from the best,” Gonzalez told reporters during his first video conference with the New England media. “Great atmosphere. The good ball gets played up there.”