Patriots Have Unsurprising DPOY Candidate

The New England Patriots' defense should certainly be better this year than it was last season thanks to a multitude of additions via free agency and the NFL Draft, but that doe s not necessarily mean the Patriots were loaded with bums on that side of the ball in 2024.

In fact, New England had one of the best players in the league at his position in cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was robbed of a Pro Bowl appearance, but was named a Second-Team All-Pro.

Gonzalez is finally beginning to get some respect in football circles, and heading into his third professional season, the former first-round pick may be prepared to a monster breakout.

In fact, Jacob Infante of Pro Football Network tabbed Gonzalez as the Pats player most likely to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2025.

"The New England Patriots didn’t have much to be grateful for in 2024, but one bright spot was Christian Gonzalez’s stellar play in his second NFL season," Infante wrote. "Gonzalez was a second-team All-Pro who also generated votes in PFSN’s 2024 All-Pro voting. Going into Year 3, he should be considered a top cornerback and a sleeper DPOY candidate for 2025."

Gonzalez played in 16 games last season, registering 59 tackles, a couple of interceptions and 11 passes defended. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown and earned himself a 78.2 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.

The 22-year-old appeared in only four contests during his rookie campaign due to a shoulder injury that required surgery, which had some wondering if he was already entering bust territory going into his sophomore season. But Gonzalez quickly silenced those doubts.

We'll see if the University of Oregon product can put together an even stronger year next fall.