There were a lot of players at the 2023 NFL Combine who were able to take advantage of the opportunity and use it to boost their draft capital, but few were able to do as well as Oregon Ducks cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
Gonzalez, who was already projected to be a first-round pick heading into the combine, might have propelled himself up the board a bit based on his measurables and on-field performance.
With his 4.38 40-yard dash, 41.5-inch vertical, and 11-foot-1-inch broad jump, Gonzalez earned one of the highest draft grades among all defensive backs during the week, and he was named one of the biggest winners of the week. Here is what USA TODAY had to say about Gonzalez:
With Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon not testing or working out due a hamstring issue, Gonzalez made a strong bid to be the first cornerback selected. The 6-1, 197-pounder looked like the total package at the position, easily changing direction and snagging passes. As expected, he was a top-tier tester with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, 41 ½-inch vertical leap and 11-1 broad jump.
We will likely get another chance to see Gonzalez perform on the field next week at Oregon’s Pro Day, but it’s going to be hard to improve his stock much more than he already has over the past week.
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