New England Patriots rookie Christian Gonzalez practiced in front of the media for the first time Tuesday.
It didn't take him long to showcase his elite athleticism.
During an early positional drill, the first-round cornerback elevated, reached his right arm toward the sky and casually pulled down a one-handed catch. The Patriots shared a video of the grab Wednesday, including an appropriate eyeball emoji.
CLNS Media captured an even more impressive angle of the play:
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Fans shouldn't overreact to one play in a non-competitive drill in early June, but the early returns on Gonzalez have been positive. The 17th overall draft pick slotted in with the defensive starters in Tuesday's organized team activities practice, manning one outside cornerback spot opposite veteran Jonathan Jones. His teammates like what they've seen thus far.
"It's pretty effortless just the way he does everything," safety Kyle Dugger said after Tuesday's practice. "The way he moves in and out of breaks, he runs easy. It just looks very light, very fluid. It's easy to see. ... He's very athletic, and he learns well. He learns really well. There hasn't been a lot of time, so that's all I can really say, but he learns fast. Very smart."
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Gonzalez ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine (89th percentile among cornerbacks) and tested in the 95th percentile or better in the broad jump and vertical jump. His Relative Athletic Score, which combines a prospect's measurables and testing numbers into one all-encompassing metric, was a near-perfect 9.95 out of 10. And at 6-foot-2, 201 pounds, he boasts the height and length that New England's cornerback group lacked last season.
Patriots offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, who was with Gonzalez at Oregon last season, said the soon-to-be 21-year-old was "a guy that just made big plays continuously." Gonzalez tallied four interceptions in 2022 after transferring from Colorado.
"When we needed plays to be made at Oregon, he was the guy making those plays, and he made them routinely," Klemm said in April. "He was somebody that we can count on, and I expect it to be the same here, and even more elevated with the additional coaching."
Based on the small sample size we've seen so far, Gonzalez should have plenty of playmaking opportunities as a Patriots rookie.
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Featured image via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
