Patriots Star Continues to be Disrespected in New Rankings

The New England Patriots boast one of the best cornerbacks in football in Christian Gonzalez, but you would never know it based on all of the disrespect he has been getting for quite some time now.

Not only was Gonzalez snubbed from the Pro Bowl last season, but he frequently finds himself getting shafted in cornerback rankings.

Well, John Kosko of Pro Football Focus is the latest to make light of Gonzalez's skill, ranking him 13th among the players at his position.

"After missing most of his rookie season due to injury, Gonzalez started the 2024 campaign slowly before catching fire in Week 4 against the 49ers," Kosko wrote. "He played man coverage at a 50.1% rate last season and earned a 78.2 PFF coverage grade, which ranked ninth among cornerbacks."

Now, to be fair, there are plenty of good corners around the NFL, but placing Gonzalez at No. 13 seems awfully low, especially when you consider some of the players ranked ahead of him. Detroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed, for example, was ranked sixth, and while Reed is very good, he has not been quite that elite.

Gonzalez earned a Second-Team All-Pro selection last season after registering 59 tackles, a couple of interceptions and 11 passes defended. That followed a rookie campaign in which he played just four games.

The Patriots selected the 22-year-old with the 17th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, and barring any more injuries or unforeseen circumstances, Gonzalez will likely remain a defensive cornerstone in New England for the long haul.

Whether or not he actually starts getting more respect remains to be seen, though. Perhaps another strong season from Gonzalez in 2025 will allow him to ascend these types of lists and to earn more national recognition overall.