New England Patriots select Christian Gonzalez in first round of 2023 NFL Draft

The next great shutdown corner may have arrived in the NFL, as the New England Patriots selected former Colorado and Oregon defensive back Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Christian Gonzalez spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career with the Colorado Buffaloes, amassing 78 total tackles and ten pass deflections over his time in Boulder. However, he truly broke out in 2022, during his lone season with the Ducks.

At Oregon, Gonzalez elevated his game, accumulating 51 total tackles, seven pass deflections and four interceptions in 2022. Now, he’s hoping to see his game translate to the next level, ready to shutdown a host of NFL wide receivers moving forward.

Coming out of high school, Gonzalez was a four-star recruit who was the No. 311 overall recruit in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Now, after becoming one of the top defenders in all of college football, Gonzalez will look to elevate his game to another level in the NFL.

The Patriots are elated to have him, and Christian Gonzalez will work to ensure he’s the best player he can be moving forward. It’s going to be fascinating to watch him grow as a player in the future.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Christian Gonzalez

Continuing, NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein provided some interesting insight into the type of player Gonzalez is, and how he believes he’ll translate to the NFL level.

“Explosive outside cornerback possessing a rare blend of physical and athletic traits,” started Zierlein. “Gonzalez plays with fluid hips and blazing top-end speed, which should help him match against top-end targets in the future. He can rough up the release or use mirror-and-match footwork from press-man coverage and he has all the tools to become a highly capable route shadow. His technique will get away from him at times and he doesn’t play with the level of instincts or ball skills that should make heavy ball production automatic.

“His testing numbers could send his draft stock skyrocketing, but the ingredients are already present to become a feared CB1 if he plays to his gifts.”

Additionally, Zierlein has Gonzalez’s NFL comparison set as veteran defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who spent over a decade in the league with six different franchises, achieving All-Pro status and amassing 30 interceptions in his career. Not a bad player to be likened to.