Christian Gonzalez Draws Strong Review From Patriots Legend

It’s early, but Christian Gonzalez is checking a lot of boxes for one Patriots legend.

The rookie cornerback, who was the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has looked the part since the start of training camp. Yes, Gonzalez must become more physical — look no further than the preseason opener — but his overall skills have come as advertised. And he showed significant improvement in last Saturday’s preseason game against the Packers in Green Bay.

Legendary New England safety Devin McCourty was asked about Gonzalez during a recent appearance on NBC Sports Boston’s “Patriots Talk” podcast.

“I think, if you go by watching training camp early, the way he’s played in games — you gotta be excited,” McCourty said. “I think he showed, ‘I am the guy you thought coming out’ when it comes to covering skills and covering guys up. And I think he showed that, ‘I’m gonna use this big frame in the NFL. I’m gonna be aggressive, I’m gonna go tackle, I’m gonna go do those things.’

“So, I think, obviously, you’ve gotta watch week by week how it develops. One of your hardest years is your rookie year. You don’t know what to expect.”

McCourty also has been impressed with rookies Keion White and Marte Mapu, both of whom could be immediate contributors this season.

“I’d say it looks pretty good so far for this whole Patriots draft class,” he said.

Gonzalez will look to continue his upward momentum this Friday when the Patriots visit the Tennesee Titans in the preseason finale for both teams. After that, he and the rest of his teammates will go all-in on preparing for the Sept. 10 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium.