It’s always tough to know how an NFL draft is going to go until names start coming off the board. That was the case for the New England Patriots on Thursday night after trading down to No. 17 and still coming away with Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
Leading up to the 2023 NFL draft, Gonzalez was perceived by many to be a top-10 pick. So it’s understandable why Patriots fans were a bit perturbed when it was initially announced that the team was trading down with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Yet, somehow, Gonzalez was still on the board when the Patriots came back up, and Belichick made the selection to solidify his defensive backfield.
Along with picking up Gonzalez, the Patriots also got another fourth-round pick from the Steelers. That’s quite the haul for Belichick and company in the first round.
Here’s what people were saying about the selection on Twitter.