Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez a Day 1 Starter?

With the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

The New England Patriots will soon welcome their largest NFL Draft class in over a decade to OTA, minicamps and, eventually, training camp. And the crown jewel of the 12 selections? Oregon cornerback and first-round pick Christian Gonzalez. 

Despite trading down from the No. 14 spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England still managed to scoop up arguably the most talented corner in this year's class at No. 17. 

"Gonzalez is a classic man-to-man corner with high-end traits," The Athletic writes. "He ran a 4.38 40 and has 32-inch arms. He uses his length well in press coverage. He’s patient at the line of scrimmage and crafty with his hands. He often wins early in the rep with strong jams and pins his receiver to the sideline. He doesn’t lose at the line of scrimmage often, but he has recovery speed if he does."

The All-Pac-12 first team recipient will join the likes of Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones in a New England secondary that ranked No. 16 in the league in passing yards allowed per game. 

"In zone coverage, he allows too much cushion and doesn’t consistently display strong instincts to close on the ball, which might explain his slide," The Athletic writes. "That will be less of an issue with the Patriots, who played man coverage at the league’s seventh-highest rate in 2022. If Gonzalez can live up to his promise early, this Patriots defense will have good players at every position on the defense with an elite defensive line."

Following a year-long scouting process for the 20-year-old corner, the Pats' organization is optimistic about Gonzalez's star potential. 

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