New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has always had an immaculate eye for defensive talent, but from strictly a physical perspective, he hasn’t coached too many players like rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
The No. 17 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft has rare traits that could dramatically change the defensive backfield for the Patriots. He has the size, speed and technique to keep up with the very best receivers in the game.
Oh, and his athleticism is absolutely through the roof.
According to Reel Analytics, the Patriots’ rookie cornerback finished with the highest athleticism rating in the first round.
1st Round In-Game Athleticism (IGA) Score Recap:
Top 3
🥇#ForeverNE 98.7
🥈#FlyEaglesFly 98.3 avg
🥉#DirtyBirds 98.3Middle 3#OnePride 91.0 avg#Chargers 88.8#Seahawks 88.3 avg
Bottom 3#skol 80.0#GoPackGo 77.6#Billsmafia 71.2https://t.co/OC4t9K7D41 pic.twitter.com/u1Tq4zuv9b
— Cory Yates (@CoryRAanalytics) April 28, 2023
Gonzalez could be one of the foundational pieces of the Patriots defense for years to come.
Going into the draft, many people had him listed as the top available cornerback. At the very least, he was widely projected as a top-10 pick. Early indication is this being a major steal for a Patriots team that had a real need in the defensive backfield.
With the Gonzalez pick, they’ve managed to address it in ways that wasn’t even believed possible.
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