NFL Assistant Compares Patriots' Christian Gonzalez to Reigning Defensive Player of the Year

"He reached top-10 status after his second-year performance, as expected, allowing 46 of 86 targets to be completed as the nearest defender in coverage," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote. "That 53.5% completion percentage was the third-lowest among 33 players with at least 75 targets coming their way."

Gonzalez's performance in 2024 gained recognition across the league, and many believe 2025 will be another breakout year for the young cornerback. One NFL assistant even compared him to Surtain, who's earned three Pro-Bowl trips and two All-Pro honors in just four years in the league.

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

Surtain made his first Pro Bowl in his second year in the NFL. However, the two corners' stats from their sophomore seasons are nearly identical. Surtain had 60 tackles, 10 passes defended, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Gonzalez matched those numbers, except he had one more pass defended.

Surtain continued to improve in his third year, earning another Pro-Bowl appearance. Gonzalez's stats have matched up with the reigning Defensive Player of the Year so far, and we'll see if he can make another jump in 2025.

"He'll tackle, but I wouldn't call him physical," an NFL coordinator said. "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."

The Patriots added a lot of help to their defensive line this offseason, which should only help Gonzalez in the secondary. With another year of development, the Patriots' young corner could rise to the top five with an impressive year this season.