New England Patriots' Christian Gonzalez To Meet Lofty Expectations?

The 23-year-old landed on ESPN’s list of top 10 cornerbacks in the league entering the season. Gonzalez was ranked No. 6 at the position by NFL executives, coaches and scouts.

Denver Broncos’ Pat Surtain II took the No. 1 spot for the second year in a row. Gonzalez joined Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell as the youngest players to grace the top 10.

The former Duck was listed as an honorable mention a year ago but missed 13 games due to injury as a rookie. With a healthy 2024 season, Gonzalez showed why he’s among the top cornerbacks in the league.

"I think Gonzo is the next great one," a veteran NFL assistant said, according to ESPN. "Skills, patience, length. He's the closest thing to (Surtain II). Smooth, big athlete, travels a lot, can matchup against the best guy."

ESPN writer Jeremy Fowler named physicality as an area of improvement for the sixth-ranked cornerback.

"He'll tackle, but I wouldn't call him physical," an NFL coordinator told ESPN. "But he's got the size and coverage skills to put him on the outside and he can handle himself, and he can also come up and play run support and play within the construct of the defense."

Gonzalez Living Up To The Hype

The Patriots' cornerback played one year under coach Dan Lanning at Oregon after spending his first two seasons with the Colorado Buffaloes.

Gonzalez excelled with the Ducks, leading the team in interceptions and earning a spot on the Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference first team in 2022. New England selected him with the No. 17 pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, making him the fourth Oregon defensive back all-time to be drafted in the first round.

In just his four NFL appearances in 2023, Gonzalez totaled 17 tackles, an interception and a sack. His sophomore season in the league was when he broke out as a rising star in the league.

Gonzalez recorded 59 tackles (50 solo), a fumble recovery, 11 passes defended and two interceptions in 2024. He earned himself a spot on the 2024 NFL All-Pro second team.

If Gonzalez continues to improve and sustain an elite level of player, he might very well earn himself a massive contract extension, with his current rookie deal only being worth $15.1 million over four years.

Patriots Bolster Their Defense

New England made moves in the offseason to improve their defensive unit. The Patriots added players such as veteran cornerback Carlton Davis, defensive end Milton Williams and linebacker Robert Spillane.

The team struggled in multiple areas defensively in 2024, ranking at the bottom of the league in both pressure rate and sack percentage.

But with a new coach in Mike Vrabel and veteran defenders brought in to support Gonzalez’s production, the franchise has hopes of improving its defensive ranking in 2025.