The Patriots' offseason focus has largely been on the offense, neglecting the defensive side. Contrary to popular belief, the Patriots' defense is poised to be elite this year. Recently, ESPN highlighted cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who has gained recognition in the league. Despite missing 13 games in 2023, he performed well, allowing just 53.5% of targets against him to be completed. He is being compared to top corners due to his skills, patience, and size, although his physicality remains an area for improvement.
Gonzalez caught the league's full attention as an honorable mention last year despite missing 13 games with a shoulder injury in 2023. He reached top-10 status after his second-year performance, as expected, allowing 46 of 86 targets to be completed as the nearest defender in coverage. That 53.5% completion percentage was the third-lowest among 33 players with at least 75 targets coming their way.
"I think Gonzo is the next great one," a veteran NFL assistant said. "Skills, patience, length. He's the closest thing to Pat [Surtain II]. Smooth, big athlete, travels a lot, can matchup against the best guy."
Gonzalez isn't known as a big thumper, though most corners aren't. Physicality is an area where he could improve. "He'll tackle, but I wouldn't call him physical," an NFL coordinator said. "But he's got the size and coverage ability to be effective in the league."
Collection
[
|
...
]