Christian Gonzalez Fantasy

New England Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez, the No. 17 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, was lining up as a first-unit left cornerback during offseason practices and caught the eye of his teammates. "He's very athletic. It's pretty effortless the way he does everything -- the way he moves in and out of breaks. He runs easy. It looks very light and fluid," safety Kyle Dugger said. The 6-foot-2, 201-pounder has questions about his physicality, which is one reason he may have slid in the first round, so the Patriots will wait for a more complete evaluation of Gonzalez once players are in full pads in training camp this summer. Despite the 20-year-old's size, Gonzalez has tons of tools and should challenge for a starting job opposite Jonathan Jones in camp.

Jun. 24th • 11:29 AM

The New England Patriots selected University of Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday night. The Patriots continued their trend of trading back in the first round this year, moving from No. 14 overall to No. 17 to bolster their secondary with Gonzalez, who was considered one of the top defensive backs in this year's class. The 20-year-old stands at 6-foot-1 and has great speed on the outside. He should be in play to start right away for the Patriots on the opposite side of the field from Jonathan Jones. The Gonzalez pick will eventually allow the Pats to get back to playing man-to-man defense on the outside.

Apr. 27th • 10:15 PM