Meet Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez, NFL Draft 'Unicorn' & Falcons Prospect
The Atlanta Falcons are expected to be in the market for cornerback help this offseason, perhaps as high as No. 8 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Enter Oregon's Christian Gonzalez, one of the draft's youngest prospects - he doesn't turn 21 until late June - but also one of the best.
The 6-1, 197-pound Gonzalez is widely viewed as the draft's top corner ... but don't just take it from us.
At the NFL Combine, Sports Illustrated's Falcon Report spoke with a trio of former teammates and opponents who've been around Gonzalez to gather options - and the returns matched those of the draft experts.
Stanford receiver Michael Wilson, an All-PAC 12 honorable mention and potential top-100 draft pick, was asked about Gonzalez ... and didn't hide his feelings.
"I think Christian Gonzalez is probably the best corner I've ever went against," Wilson said. "I feel like he's one of those guys that's sort of a unicorn and doesn't have really any weaknesses in his game."
Wilson was described by USC cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, a teammate of Gonzalez in 2020 and 2021 at Colorado before each transferred out, as a "technical, put-together receiver" who's well-rounded.
The 6-2, 210-pound wideout was a standout at the Reese's Senior Bowl and has a strong pre-draft process, but against Gonzalez and Oregon, he mustered only two receptions for 14 yards, a season-low, just one week after catching six passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns against an always-talented Washington defense.
But Gonzalez proved to be too much - in part because he's simply so well-rounded.
"He's long, he's fast, he's a great athlete, he's fluid," Wilson said. "He also has the technical side, and he can compete."
This idea of Gonzalez having no weaknesses proved to be a common trend among those who've faced him - including BYU quarterback Jaren Hall.
An All-Independent first-team honoree, Hall was also a participant at the Senior Bowl and figures to be a Day 3 selection.
During his time under center in Provo, Utah, he faced several stout defenses, including Stanford, Notre Dame, Arkansas, USC and Washington State - but there was no hesitation when asked about the toughest corner he faced.
"Christian Gonzalez," Hall said.
Why?
"He's a great player," Hall said. "I couldn't find a lot of flaws in his game at all; no weaknesses. Any side of the field he's on, you have to be aware of him. Great player."
But this wasn't always the expected path for Gonzalez, who hails from The Colony, Texas, just outside of Dallas.
The son of a semiprofessional basketball player and brother of two sisters who were track and field All-Americans, Gonzalez was a talented receiver, returner and 200-meter sprinter in high school - and ultimately was ranked as a top-50 player in the uber-competitive state of Texas ... as a safety.
Cornerback, where Gonzalez is now so dominant, wasn't even the position he was recruited to play when he chose Colorado. He was fortunate to have a pretty solid mentor when transitioning to the corners room prior to the start of his freshman year - Blackmon.
Entering 2020, Blackmon was set to enter his redshirt junior season as a starter, fresh off an injury-riddled campaign in which he flashed but saw end prematurely.
That summer, Blackmon, 21 at the time, took a then-17-year-old "under his wing" and called him his "little brother," helping ease not only the move from high school to college but also safety to corner.
That player was Christian Gonzalez.
"I knew he was going to be special since the day he got onto the field," Blackmon said.
The two proceeded to start all but four games alongside each other over the next two years, eventually going their separate ways after the 2021 season.
Despite that, Blackmon and Gonzalez remain friends ... and the former believes the latter has a bright future in store.
"He's a real explosive dude," Blackmon said. "I feel like he helped me grow as a leader. He's a real fluid athlete and I know he's going to have a great career in the league."
No matter if it's an opposing receiver or quarterback or big-brother presence, Gonzalez did nothing but earn respect and admiration during his time in college ...
And now, he's commanding the Falcons' attention at No. 8 overall, and could just bring his laundry list of traits and "no weakness" skillset to Atlanta come April's draft.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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