Oregon's Christian Gonzalez lands just outside top-5 of latest ESPN mock draft

Former Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez dazzled at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last week and continues to see his stock rise as a result.

On Saturday, ESPN’s Todd McShay released an updated version of his 2023 NFL mock draft to reflect the blockbuster trade between the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 overall pick. After the shakeup atop the draft, McShay still has Gonzalez entrenched as his top cornerback.

McShay predicted that the Detroit Lions will select Gonzalez at No. 6 overall. Here’s the rundown

“I know I keep using the 6.2 yards allowed per play number for the Lions, but it was the NFL’s sixth-worst number for the past decade. Armed with a pair of first-rounders and a chunk of cap space, Detroit has to get better on that side of the ball. It has gotten up-and-down production from Jeff Okudah, the team’s top-three pick in 2020, and the other corner spot is open with Amani Oruwariye primed to be a free agent next week.

At 6-1 and 197 pounds, Gonzalez confirmed the speed and explosion we saw on tape during the combine. He posted a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash and jumped 41.5 inches in the vertical and 11-foot-1 in the broad. And with four interceptions in 2022, he can make plays on the ball.”

In 12 games during the 2022 campaign, Gonzalez recorded 50 tackles, including 35 solo stops, and 1.0 tackles for loss. He hauled in four interceptions and broke up 11 passes.

Pro Football Focus issued Gonzalez a season grade of 81.0 overall — the second-best among Oregon defensive players and the 10th-best among Pac-12 defenders who play regularly.

Christian Gonzalez NFL.com Overview:

Explosive outside cornerback possessing a rare blend of physical and athletic traits. 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.

Strengths:

• Desired blend of size, speed and explosiveness.
• He’s as fluid and loose in his movements as you’ll find.
• Length and strength allow him to bully releases from press.
• Feet and hips create easy skip and flip to match the release.
• Quick to crowd and push vertical targets toward the boundary.
• Able to shuffle and swerve in space like he’s gliding on air.
• Rare recovery kick and top-end speed for a big cornerback.
• Works his way off perimeter blocks.
• Huge take-off burst to rocket in and block kicks.

Weaknesses:

• Instincts to create more catch challenges are spotty.
• Below average anticipation to jump route breaks.
• Inconsistent finding optimal positioning to constrict catch area.
• Average feel for angles attacking the throw.
• Slow to get his head around and find the football downfield.
• Needs to play with better awareness to run plays.
• Inconsistent coming to balance as open-field tackler.