Tag: Christian Gonzalez

Analysis of Patriots picking Christian Gonzalez in the first round

Did the Patriots make the right pick?

The New England Patriots traded down three spots and still came away with one of the best defensive players in the 2023 NFL draft in Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

It was a no-brainer selection for coach Bill Belichick with an opportunity to add a legitimate top-10 talent in this year’s rookie class at No. 17.

Gonzalez is a big, physical cornerback that can match up outside with the best receivers in the NFL. He finished his collegiate career with 50 tackles, four interceptions and seven pass deflections in 2022, when quarterbacks were rarely looking to throw in his direction.

Gonzalez has the ability to vault to the top of the depth chart for a Patriots team that desperately needed size. Jonathan Jones is as tough as they come in the defensive backfield, but he was undersized and struggled when matching up against elite receivers, such as his Week 12 meeting with Minnesota Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson last season.

Not only is Gonzalez a great coverage corner, but he’s also a willing tackler with tremendous playmaking ability.

We could look back on this pick one day as the steal of the draft. Not only did the Patriots come away with a top talent, but they also gained another fourth-round pick in the process in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It was a perfect example of Belichick playing chess, while everyone else plays checkers.

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WATCH: Highlights of Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez in college

These highlights will get you excited about the Patriots’ newest rookie Christian Gonzalez.

The New England Patriots needed depth and playmaking ability at the secondary spot, and they were able to select a playmaking corner from Oregon.

With their first pick of the 2023 NFL draft, New England selected corner Christian Gonzalez 17th overall out of Oregon. This gives New England another impact piece on the defensive side of the football, as they look to keep pace with the high-powered offenses of the AFC East.

Gonzalez had a tremendous 2022 season while playing for Oregon. He was named to the First-Team All-Pac-12 after a career-season last year. He tallied four interceptions for 118 yards, as well as 35 tackles and seven pass deflections on the year.

New England was able to get a projected top-10 talent in Gonzalez, while continuing to bolster an already strong unit in the secondary.

Take a look at his highlights, which will give you a feel for his playmaking ability.

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Twitter reacts to Patriots getting absolute steal in Christian Gonzalez

Here’s what people are saying on Twitter after the Patriots drafted Christian Gonzalez No. 17 overall.

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.

Twitter Reaction: NFL fans react to Christian Gonzalez’s drop, eventual selection by Patriots

NFL Twitter did not think Christian Gonzalez would fall to No. 17. When the Patriots got him, they reacted strongly.

Earlier in the day, a lot of Oregon fans were feeling confident that the streak of Ducks being selected with a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft would continue. As the night went on, that started to become less of a popular opinion.

After sliding down the draft board further than many expected, Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez was selected by the New England Patriots with the No. 17 overall pick. The slide may end up working out for Gonzalez, who now lands with a New England Patriots squad that has historically been great at coaching the CB position under head coach Bill Belichick.

National media members were huge fans of the selection from New England, and were perplexed at why Gonzalez dropped. Oregon fans, and NFL fans in general, were also very vocal about everything that went on, from the drop to the eventual pick. Here are some of the best reactions from the night.

New England Patriots selection of Christian Gonzalez receives outstanding draft grade

Christian Gonzalez fell to the New England Patriots. They got an outstanding draft grade for taking him at No. 17.

When you can trade back in the first round, and end up picking a player who many believe feel as many as seven picks further than he should have, then you’re most likely going to make out pretty well in the NFL Draft.

According to USA TODAY’s Touchdown Wire, New England’s decision to select Christian Gonzalez at No. 17 overall was an absolute no-brainer. The site graded the first-round pick as an A+.

Some believe Gonzalez to be the best cornerback in this class, and while I prefer Devon Witherspoon, there is no denying Gonzalez’s smoothness, intelligence, and ball skills. The Patriots may be ready to unleash a demon on the rest of the NFL, as nobody expected Gonzalez to last until the 17th overall pick, and he has everything required to exact revenge.

Most believe New England being able to select Gonzalez at No. 17 was a steal. There was less than a one percent chance the Oregon corner would be available at that spot.

Gonzalez was a first-team All-Pac-12 player after transferring to Oregon from Colorado. In his one and only season as a Duck, he had 50 tackles, 35 solo and four interceptions.

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Everything the national media is saying after Christian Gonalez’s draft selection

Steal of the draft? National media members had high praise for the Patriots taking Christian Gonzalez at No. 17.

Oregon Ducks cornerback Christian Gonzalez was drafted by the New England Patriots on Thursday night with the No. 17 overall pick, making him the fourth consecutive Duck to go in the first round of the draft.

The fact that Gonzalez made it all the way to the No. 17 pick was a surprise to many, since the former Duck was projected to go as early as No. 8. Others thought he would likely end up being drafted in the range of 10-12, but instead he fell for whatever reason, and became the third cornerback taken off of the board.

However, it may end up working out for Gonzalez, who now lands with a New England Patriots squad that has historically been great at coaching the CB position under head coach Bill Belichick.

Here is how some of the most notable national media members reacted to the selection.

Patriots select Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez with 17th overall pick

The No. 17 overall pick is in for the Patriots.

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Weeks of speculating over what the New England Patriots were going to do with the No. 17 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft came to an end with the team selecting Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez in the first round on Thursday night.

The Patriots took a bit of a gamble by trading out of the No. 17 spot with Gonzalez still on the board. But somehow, they were able to move three picks back, grab another fourth-round pick in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers and still get their guy.

Gonzalez has lockdown corner potential at the next level. It’s shocking he was still on the board after a career-high four interceptions and seven pass deflections with the Ducks in 2022.

The Patriots addressed a major defensive need in a big way with this selection.

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Christian Gonzalez selected by New England Patriots with No. 17 overall pick

Welcome to New England, Christian. We’ve got a new Pro Duck in the mix, with Gonzalez going to the Patriots with the No. 17 overall pick.

The streak of Oregon Duck players being drafted in the first round has grown, with cornerback Christian Gonzalez being selected by the New England Patriots with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

After a strong 2022 season in Eugene, there was little doubt that Gonzalez would be a first-round draft pick and one of the first cornerbacks off the board. This is now the fourth year in a row that a Duck has been selected in the first round, with Kayvon Thibodeaux going to the New York Giants at No. 5 in 2022, Penei Sewell going to the Detroit Lions at No. 7 in 2021, and Justin Herbert going to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 8 in 2020.

Gonzalez spent only a single season with the Ducks after transferring from the Colorado Buffaloes, but he left a mark during his time playing in the green and yellow. Gonzalez had 50 tackles and 4 INT in 12 games, racking up seven pass break-ups as well.

In New England, Gonzalez will have a chance to prove early on that he is a cornerback capable of playing at a high level in the NFL. After his impressive performance at the NFL Combine and his Pro Day in Eugene, there are expectations that the former Duck will be able to start from Day 1 and be an instant impact player.

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2023 NFL draft live tracker: Instant grades, analysis of every pick

Keep track of every pick in the 2023 NFL draft, complete with instant grades and analysis.

The 2023 NFL draft is finally here!

In front of a massive crowd in Kansas City, Alabama’s Bryce Young became the first overall selection on Thursday night as the Panthers took their quarterback of the future.

CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson soon followed within the first four picks, but Kentucky’s Will Levis slid out of the first round entirely, and will be on the top of most big boards as the second round begins on Friday.

Keep it locked here as we give you instant grades and analysis for every selection as it happens:

Cory Bonini’s 2023 NFL mock draft 4.0

Make sure to check out Cory Bonini’s latest mock draft of 2023.

Here’s my updated 2023 NFL mock draft. Be sure to check our NFL Draft Central page for the rest of our mocks, player scouting reports, and post-draft analysis of every key pick relevant to fantasy football.

2023 NFL mock draft 4.0

*Note: Miami forfeited its No. 21 overall selection for tampering.
**Note: Projected trade