With the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Patriots selected Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
New England originally was slated to pick at 14th overall but traded down to 17th in a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots also landed the 120th overall pick, a fourth-rounder.
Gonzalez was viewed by many as the second-best cornerback in the draft but went third behind Illinois product Devon Witherspoon and Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes. He met with New England during the pre-draft process.
After spending the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Colorado, Gonzalez transferred to Oregon for the 2022 campaign and excelled. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder racked up 50 tackles and four interceptions in 12 games for the Ducks.
Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about Gonzalez in his scouting breakdown:
“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.”
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