If Christian Gonzalez doesn’t deliver on the hype, it won’t be because he isn’t built to succeed in the NFL.
Gonzalez, selected by the Patriots with the 17th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has prototypical size (6-foot-2) and athleticism (4.38 40-yard dash time) for a boundary cornerback. He also possesses the kinds of raw skills that make it easy to envision him making an instant impact in New England.
In fact, Gonzalez’s traits might be a little too perfect.
“If you were building a player in Madden, you’d create them very similar to Christian, especially for the corner position,” Gonzalez’s head coach at Oregon, Dan Lanning, recently told Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston. “He’s got length, he’s got size, he’s got speed. He carries that size very effortlessly and he can obviously run.”
Lanning also believes that Gonzalez is talented enough to excel in other phases.
“Those are skill sets you look for in a DB,” he said on Perry’s “Next Pats” podcast. “He’s got great ball skills. I honestly believe he could play wideout. He could be a returner as well, if somebody needed that.
“We didn’t ask him to do that, but we probably should have at times. But he has all the skill sets. So, if you’re designing a player, you design them within the mold of Christian.”
Of course, Gonzalez isn’t actually perfect. There are reasons he went from being a projected top-10 pick to slipping to No. 17.
Some scouts and experts have concerns about Gonzalez’s willingness to tackle at a high level and to play the kind of physical brand of football that’s required in the NFL. Additionally, his soft-spoken demeanor reportedly scared off some teams that prefer their top corners to exude alpha-male energy.
But Lanning disagrees. He believes Gonzalez’s quiet confidence is part of what makes him a special prospect.
“Maybe more importantly in my mind is you have the mindset,” he said. “The last play never affects the next play. He’s able to hit the flush button really easily. His demeanor, he’s very calculated. Some people might take it as a lack of passion. That’s not the case at all. The guy’s extremely passionate, but he’s very focused and he’s able to play within the moment.
“So, I think the Patriots are getting a really good one. I’ve had a lot of really good DBs, and he ranks up there as high as any.”
We’ll get our first look at Gonzalez next Wednesday when the Patriots welcome reporters to one of their offseasons practices. Where Gonzalez lines up is one of just many storylines we’ll be tracking over the next few weeks.
