The New England Patriots were at the right place at the right time to draft former Oregon star cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft.
Even after trading down from pick No. 14, the Patriots still managed to come away with a player many projected as a top-10 draft pick.
Some would have preferred to see New England stay on the offensive side of the ball and draft either a receiver or offensive tackle. But a strong argument could be made that Gonzalez was the best player on the board. Combine that with the fact that the Patriots had a glaring need for an outside corner and it was the perfect pick on paper.
There were plenty of media analysts that agreed considering the move received high marks across the board. Here’s the final round-up of draft grades for the Patriots’ first-round pick.
Touchdown Wire: A+
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar loves Gonzalez’s potential as an outside cornerback in the NFL:
There are players at every position in the NFL who just make things look easier than they have any right to make them look. Christian Gonzalez has all the attributes to become one of those players sooner than later at the next level. If he manages to add a bit of grit to the reams of teach tape, there’s no telling how good he can be — especially if he’s aligned as an outside cornerback as much as possible.
NFL.com: A
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter admitted to being surprised by the value the Patriots got with the Gonzalez pick:
Gonzalez’s size, athleticism and ball skills are excellent, meaning the Patriots got great value here even after moving down three spots in a trade with the Steelers to pick up a fourth-round selection. I was a bit surprised he was still available this late, but New England won’t complain.
The Athletic: A
The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman called Gonzalez the most physically gifted corner in the draft.
The most physically gifted and smoothest of the cornerbacks, Gonzalez played both outside and in the slot at Oregon last year. With perfect dimensions for a cornerback, Gonzalez (6-1, 3/8, 197) ran a 4.38 40 at the combine and has more fluidity than other upper-tier corners.
CBS Sports: A
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco had Gonzalez ranked as the best corner in the draft:
I had him ranked as the top corner in this draft. For him to fall this far is amazing to me. The Patriots traded down and still filled a major position of need. Nice job.
Sports Illustrated: A
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame sees a potential shutdown corner in Gonzalez:
The Patriots have some young corners in their building led by Jonathan Jones, but the value of Gonzalez is too great to ignore. Projected as a top-10 pick in many corners, the Oregon product gives New England a potential shutdown corner in an AFC East loaded with elite receivers. With the Ducks, Gonzalez earned first-team Pac-12 status last season after two years with Colorado. His size is also a big plus at 6’1″ and 197 pounds.
Bleacher Report: A
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski thinks the Patriots are the perfect fit for Gonzalez:
When looking at the current composition of the Patriots’ cornerback room, Gonzalez is the perfect injection of what’s needed. Myles Bryant, Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones are all 6’0″ or under and under 195 pounds.
Originally projected as a top-10 talent, Gonzalez went to the best possible situation.
Patriots Wire: A+
Patriots Wire’s Jordy McElroy thought the Patriots came away with a steal at No. 17:
Gonzalez was projected as a top-10 player on most mock draft boards heading into the event. So the fact that he was still available that late for the Patriots is shocking. It’s an A-plus selection for Belichick, who managed to come away with an extra draft pick and a high-end draft prospect.
