The New England Patriots are known for developing incredible corners. It seems like just about every year, no matter what names are on the roster, New England always manages to have a lockdown number one corner. One of the greatest of the Patriots dynasty has to be Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore made quite a reputation for himself in his years with the Patriots, he even won Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. Gilmore was to be feared in Foxborough, and could always be counted on to erase an opposing team’s star receiver from the game plan. For fans of the Patriots, watching 2023 first round draft pick Christian Gonzalez this season was very reminiscent of Gilmore’s time in New England.
Christian Gonzalez was very succesful before being selected by the Patriots in the NFL Draft. He had an incredible final season at the University of Oregon. Not to mention his incredible performance at the NFL Combine. He ran the forty yard dash in only 4.38 seconds, that is next level speed for a player of his size. At six foot one inch, and nearly two hundred pounds, running the forty in that time is quite impressive. He also recorded a forty one inch vertical, which truly shows his explosiveness. Many people thought Gonzalez would be a top five pick and out of reach for the Patriots. But somehow, Gonzalez fell to New England at pick seventeen. Many people were shocked that such a talented player would drop that far, and with Bill Belichick’s track record of developing defensive backs, it was clear how dominant Gonzalez had the potential to be.
When the 2023 season began, there was an expectation that Gonzalez would have some struggles before turning into a great player. After all, corner is one of the most difficult positions in football, and the Patriots were set to face some of the best receivers in football in the first few weeks. A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, Garrett Wilson, and CeeDee Lamb. Gonzalez shocked the NFL world by not only keeping up with these receivers, but locking them up on multiple plays. He showed incredible flashes that were very reminiscent of Stephon Gilmore. The fans of the Patriots were incredibly excited that such a talented player had fallen to them in the Draft. Many fans remember Stephon Gilmore and the quiet confidence he had. He wasn’t a loud mouth, who would scream and shout about how good he was. He would just go out, play incredibly, and when he was interviewed, would tell reporters that he was the best in the game plain and simple. This is very similar to how Christian Gonzalez carries himself. He is very quiet and sometimes even looks uncomfortable when talking to media, but before he was injured, he would go out and leave it all on the field. Showing his incredible potential as a rookie against some of the best in the business. Even after getting national attention for his elite play on the field, Gonzalez still just kept his head down and kept working.
Will Gonzalez be the breakout star of 2024?
New England has some great talent on the defensive side of the ball, and will most likely be bringing in a lot more in on offense in the 2024 off-season. Regardless, Gonzalez in year two should be on track to take the NFL by storm. Gonzalez being able to have a full off-season to prepare, and perfect his craft will be a huge asset to him. Many of the Foxborough Faihful are anxious to see if Christian Gonzalez could be the second coming of 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Stephon Gilmore.