Roaring Rookie: Patriots' Christian Gonzalez Shuts Down Jets' Garrett Wilson

New England Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez has gone up against elite receivers over the past two weeks, and he has risen to the occasion.

When cornerback Christian Gonzalez fell to the New England Patriots at No. 17 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, many deemed the pick to be an absolute steal.

Through three games, the Patriots are laughing to the bank with their new No. 1 cornerback. Despite a 1-2 start for New England, Gonzalez has been fantastic in his first few NFL games. The best part? He's doing it while shadowing some of the game's best receivers.

The latest notch under Gonzalez' belt came in the Patriots' 15-10 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, when he matched up against reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson. Gonzalez more than held his own, holding Wilson to five receptions for 48 yards on nine targets. Even then, 29 of those yards came on Wilson's final reception of the game, when the Patriots were in prevent defense.

Granted, the Jets' struggles under center with Zach Wilson taking over for the injured Aaron Rodgers also played a a role in their offensive ineptitude on Sunday. However, that doesn't change the fact that Gonzalez got under the skin of one of the game's best receivers and held him without a touchdown for the first time this season.

For further proof of Gonzalez' strong play, look no further than the Patriots' previous game against the Miami Dolphins. While New England lost 24-17, Gonzalez was able to keep Miami star Tyreek Hill in check for most of the game. On nine targets, Hill had just five receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown.

For added context, Hill has been absolutely dominant in his other two games this season. In Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers, he caught 11 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Then on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, Hill caught nine passes for 157 yards and a touchdown as Miami scored 70 points, the most of any team since 1966. Gonzalez holding Hill to just 40 yards, and the Patriots holding the Dolphins to 24 points, deserves a ton of credit. Hill even complimented Gonzalez' game on a recent podcast.

“He’s real good, a very lengthy corner," Hill said. "He had some real good speed and technique about him. They have some real good pieces in over there in New England."

According to Sports Betting Dime, Gonzalez entered Week 3 with the third best odds to win Defensive Rookie of the Year at +1100. The only players he trailed were Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter at +215 and Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. at +488. It will take a lot to surpass those two pass-rushers, but if Gonzalez keeps locking up star receivers, then he may have a chance.

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