Tag: Christian Gonzalez

Commanders land athletic Oregon cornerback in new CBS mock draft

The Commanders land a long, athletic cornerback in new mock draft.

The Washington Commanders seem content to head into the offseason with Sam Howell as the No. 1 quarterback. A veteran will be added to Washington’s quarterback room, but it is doubtful that the Commanders will target a passer high in the 2023 NFL draft.

The top priorities for Washington heading into free agency next month are re-signing defensive tackle Daron Payne and looking for help on the offensive line. Depending on what the Commanders are able to add in free agency, draft plans could change.

As of now, offensive line help is the most significant need. The Commanders could also use another cornerback. Picking No. 16 overall, Washington would ideally prefer to pick the best available player between its top positions of need. With a strong cornerback draft, especially at the top, the best value for adding to the offensive line could be in the second and third rounds.

In a new mock draft from Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports, he has the Commanders selecting Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

I’ll be honest, after transferring to Oregon this season, it took me a while to figure out whether I thought Gonzalez was a great draft prospect because of his ability or if it was due to the rest of Oregon’s secondary being terrible. I’m leaning toward Gonzalez being good. Like Witherspoon, he’s not the strongest, but he’s long, athletic and has tremendous instincts for the ball.

The 6-foot-2 Gonzalez would give the Commanders a third starting cornerback to go along with Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste. St-Juste, at 6-foot-3, had a breakout season in 2022, but injuries plagued him in the final six weeks.

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2023 NFL draft film room: Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez

See for yourself what makes Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez one of the top cornerback prospects in the 2023 NFL draft class

It’s officially NFL draft season, so it’s time to get to know the best players at every positions in the 2023 class.

What makes Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez one of this year’s top cornerback prospects?

Watch the tape and see for yourself:

2023 NFL Draft: Tyler Forness’ top 12 cornerbacks

The 2023 NFL Draft is fast approaching and the cornerback class is loaded. @TheRealForno has his top 12 cornerbacks in this class

The 2023 NFL draft is approaching and there is one thing that’s clear.

This cornerback class is insanely deep.

In my initial study, I have written up full scouting reports on 12 cornerbacks and they all received grades of at least 79.0. That is a high third-round grade and 10 of those 12 got second-round grades.

Here is how I have the class currently graded before the NFL combine and athletic testing.

Texans take Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez in CBS Sports mock draft

The Houston Texans get their QB of the future and also Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez in the latest CBS Sports mock draft.

The Houston Texans have the whole board open to them in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft thanks to their extra selection. Even with the Chicago Bears possessing No. 1 overall, the Texans’ picks at Nos. 2 and 12 — and a total of 12 picks in the draft — provide for the chance to build a package to get up to the top spot.

According to Josh Edwards from CBS Sports, the Texans trade up to No. 1 overall to take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. The specifics of the trade package aren’t revealed, but somehow the Texans are able to get up to No. 2 overall without having to part with their extra Round 1 selection. The Texans use that pick to take Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

A year after drafting Derek Stingley in the top five, Houston picks up Christian Gonzalez to play opposite him. Ideally, the Texans would take a bigger position of need, but the board did not fall in that way.

Curiously receivers Jordan Addison from USC and Quentin Johnston from TCU were still on the board when Houston picked Gonzalez. Even Penn State cornerback Joey Porter was still available.

The Bears also make a deal with the Indianapolis Colts at No. 2 overall to provide for the AFC South club to move up from No. 4 overall to take Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. Eventually the Bears take Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter at No. 4 overall.

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Christian Gonzalez the latest cornerback mocked to the Vikings by Pro Football Network

With the Vikings’ need at cornerback, Pro Football Network addressed it with Tyler’s top cornerback in the class

The Minnesota Vikings are in need of cornerback depth for next season, as they only have three players currently under contract. Many expect the Vikings to address this need in free agency, but they could also look in the first round of the NFL Draft.

On Tuesday Pro Football Network’s Ben Rolfe released a mock draft that had the Vikings selecting Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez. 

“The Minnesota Vikings desperately need to address their defense in a number of ways this offseason. Regardless of how they approach the CB position in free agency, there will always be the need to add more talent. Gonzalez definitely brings that talent and has a chance to be a starter immediately for a Vikings defense that needs immediate help.”

Many think Gonzalez is one of the best cornerbacks in this draft class, so if he were to fall to the Vikings in the late first round, it would be a steal and an immediate upgrade at the position. This is one that fans should be excited about.

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Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez drops a bit in latest ESPN mock draft

Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez drops a bit in latest ESPN mock draft

One of the most pleasant developments for Oregon Duck fans over the past couple of months has been the emergence of cornerback Christian Gonzalez when it comes to NFL draft circles.

Duck fans learned well over the past year that Gonzalez was a star in the making, and after the season came to an end, NFL draft experts have started to learn the same thing as well. Depending on which mock drafts you look at, Gonzalez can be found going as early as within the top 10 picks, usually around No. 7 or 8.

However, the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Matt Miller doesn’t seem to view Gonzalez in the same light. According to Miller, it will be the Pittsburgh Steelers who take the Oregon cornerback with the No. 17 pick in the draft.

The biggest need in Pittsburgh this offseason is along the offensive line, but with the top three tackles already off the board, the Steelers could pivot to the secondary. Gonzalez has a unique blend of traits and production. The 6-2, 200-pound cornerback is expected to test really well at the combine, with one area scout predicting times in the 4.3-second range in the 40-yard dash. But Gonzalez is more than “just” a high-level speed player; he had four interceptions and seven pass breakups in 2022 after transferring from Colorado. He’s a perfect match of need and value, and — spoiler — Pittsburgh could wait until Round 2 to address the O-line with a pair of picks.

We will see if Gonzalez ends up being on the board and even available for the Steelers to take with the 17th pick. Regardless of who takes him, though, it’s become pretty clear that the former Duck will be a first-round pick.

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5 cornerbacks Cowboys could target in 2023 draft

The Cowboys are likely back in the market for corner help and thankfully it’s a strong class. Here’s a look at @TimLettiero’s top prospects.

With the majority of eyes set on improving the offense, it will be important for Dallas to not ignore needs on the defensive side of the ball. Numerous starters are in need of new contracts and even if re-signed, more talent is needed to keep this unit at the top of the league.

The top question mark on Dan Quinn’s unit is starting corner. Trevon Diggs is a lock as the top dog and Daron Bland played himself into a long term starting spot but when Anthony Brown’s injury ended his mediocre campaign, Dallas had to improvise.

Brown is now out of contract and of the several players who got a shot at grabbing the throne, only Israel Mukuamu showed legitimate promise, and without a ton of evidence. The external free agency class isn’t very deep, and Dallas rarely plays at the top level anyway ever since signing Brandon Carr a decade ago. Those wandering eyes now turn towards the draft as this 2023 class is loaded from top to bottom. Here are the top five corners Dallas should target come April.

2023 NFL Mock Draft: Vikings Mock Draft Roundup 5.0

The fifth mock draft roundup is here and cornerbacks continue to be popular

Mock draft season is upon us and that means our mock draft roundup is back!

What we do every week is track the mainstream outlets mock drafts and aggregate how many times a player gets selected. Last season, we tallied up 173 mock drafts and only 10 of them were on offense. This season could end up being much of the same.

We will track them and try to determine trends and patterns, along with giving my own analysis on how they could fit with the Minnesota Vikings.

This week, we tracked 25 mock drafts that had 15 different players.

Mock Draft Roundup 4.0

Commanders land cornerback in new PFF mock draft

More help for Washington’s secondary.

It’s early, but most mock drafts like two positions for the Washington Commanders: cornerback and offensive line.

In a new mock draft from Pro Football Focus, Marcus Mosher has the Commanders selecting Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez at No. 16 overall. This isn’t the first time the tall, rangy corner has been mocked to Washington. Daniel Jeremiah had the Gonzalez in Washington in his first mock draft.

Cornerback was a major issue for the Commanders for most of the season after they moved on from William Jackson III. But in a deep cornerback draft, expect them to target one early. Gonzalez would be an ideal pick here — he possesses the size, speed and ball skills you want from a Round 1 cornerback. He’s got all the traits to develop into a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL.

Yes, the Commanders need offensive line help. The problem here is, what if the top prospects are off the board? This draft isn’t as top-heavy with offensive line talent as recent drafts. While the depth is solid, Washington will likely fill its offensive line holes through a combination of free agency and the draft.

Gonzalez fits the profile of a player who can be a true No. 1 corner in the NFL and would give Washington three quality starting cornerbacks in 2023, alongside Benjamin St-Juste and Kendall Fuller.

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Touchdown Wire has Vikings selecting Christian Gonzalez in latest 2023 NFL mock draft

Cornerback continues to be a pressing need for the Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of needs heading into the 2023 season. One of the biggest ones, if not the biggest, is the cornerback position. There are only three cornerbacks on the Vikings roster and they need to add talent at the position.

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire has the Vikings going that direction in his latest mock draft by sending them Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Here is what Farrar had to say about the star cornerback.

“Speaking of NFL teams and desperate needs, there’s the Minnesota Vikings and cornerbacks. In the 2022 season, Duke Shelley was an underrated defender who really showed up late in the season, and Patrick Peterson padded his Hall of Fame resume a bit. Other than that… well, there’s a reason you see this position posted to Minnesota in most mock drafts.

This mock draft is no exception, and the Vikings would appreciate a rookie cornerback who allowed 39 catches on 64 targets for 495 yards, 209 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, four interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 74.7. Gonzalez would provide a graphic and much-needed improvement.”

Gonzalez currently sits as my top cornerback in the class and it’s easy to see why. His coverage skills are incredibly smooth and the size profile he has is tremendous.