Patriots Country

Rookie Review: Patriots' Gonzalez, Keion Flash Potential in Eagles Loss

Both New England Patriots rookies Christian Gonzalez and Keion White stood out in their regular season debuts against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Harrison Reno

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The New England Patriots fell short in their season-opener to the Philadelphia Eagles, 25-20, despite the rough start that saw the latter take a 16-0 lead early.

While the game didn't go as fans would've liked, it did show a lot of promise for the next 16 as the Patriots look to get back into the playoffs after watching them from home a season ago. 

So, how did the Patriots' stock report turn out following Week 1's loss to the Eagles?

STOCK UP 

Christian Gonzalez - The rookie cornerback showed flashes of exactly what the Patriots want him to become after selecting him with the No. 17 overall pick in the NFL Draft, despite debuting against one of the top offenses in the NFL from last season and matching up with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. 

Gonzalez managed to play every snap for the Patriots on defense. He sacked Jalen Hurts on a cornerback blitz, and recorded a pass breakup in one of the game's biggest moments, as he was covering Smith on the fourth-and-two play that gave the New England offense a chance to win. 

Keion White - Another premium pick who flashed for the Patriots in the season-opener as the second-round selection out of Georgia Tech finished Sunday's game with four quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Facing a mobile quarterback like Hurts can make getting him on the ground difficult. Still, sacks aren't the only way to judge a defensive lineman's performance, as pressures can be just as impactful as they can force the signal-caller to throw the ball away or make an errant throw.

Mac Jones - The third-year quarterback entered Sunday with his fair share of doubters following last season's regression. And while many of those critics will continue to doubt the former first-round pick, Jones showed great promise in the 25-20 loss. 

Jones completed 64 percent of his passes (35/54) for 316 yards with three touchdowns and an interception that bounced off the hands of Kendrick Bourne and into the welcoming arms of Darius Slay, who returned it for a pick-six. 

Even though Jones was facing one of the league's best defensive lines with an offensive line that can still be classified as makeshift with two rookies making their first career starts at both guard positions, he managed only to be sacked twice. He helped the Patriots nearly complete the comeback. 

Patriots - Christian Gonzalez Eagles

Kendrick Bourne - With DeVante Parker out due to injury and free-agent signing JuJu Smith-Schuster not always on the field, Bourne looked like the de facto No. 1 receiver for the Patriots offense, and he certainly looked the part. 

After having an uncertain future last season after being put in the "doghouse" of then-play-caller Matt Patricia, Bourne rebounded back into the good graces of the coaching staff and performed in the season-opening, totaling 64 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions.

STOCK DOWN 

Offensive Line - The starting five upfront struggled against one of the best defensive lines, which shouldn't be a surprise, considering the Patriots only had two returning starters from a season ago. Yet, the performance upfront wasn't good enough to win. 

The Patriots struggled to find holes in the run game as top running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson combined for just 54 yards on 19 carries.

STOCK STEADY 

Ezekiel Elliott - While the fumble on the Patriots' second offensive drive helped the Eagles get out to their 16-0 lead, it was the only negative of Elliott's debut in Foxboro. 

The new No. 15 did lead the Patriots in rushing, despite only having 29 yards on seven rushes, yet it seems unfair to put him in the "stock down" category after a game where he was behind an offensive line without its two starting guards.

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Harrison Reno
HARRISON RENO

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