The New England Patriots selected cornerback Christian Gonzalez in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft out of Oregon, and he looked like the real deal right away.
In his rookie season, he won Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for September before suffering a shoulder injury that cut his season short. Now, in 2024, he’s picked right up where he left off.
Gonzalez’s shut-down skills have been on full display, as he’s been guarding opponents’ top wide receivers most weeks, and we saw last week what it looked like when he wasn’t.
The cornerback’s play has been so strong, that he has his rivals, like New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, considering him one of the best in the game.
“Pat Surtain is tough. He’s a dog,” Wilson said while listing some of the NFL’s top cornerbacks on the “Cleats & Convos with Deebo Samuel” podcast. “I like [L’Jarius] Sneed too, from Tennessee. We got one. That boy Sauce is the best in the league. It just depends. It’s a tough question for real. Oh, you know what? Let me give credit to one dude. Christian Gonzalez is raw too now. That boy can ball. Yeah, he’s solid. He does a good job.”
In their three matchups, over the last two years, Gonzalez has held Wilson to six receptions and a touchdown on 30 yards. With performances like that, it’s no surprise that Wilson has a ton of respect for the Patriots top cornerback.
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