The New England Patriots were one of the big winners during Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. They entered the night with the No. 14 overall pick, but traded it to the Pittsburgh Steelers, adding a fourth-round pick to their draft stash.
Picking up extra draft capital is always a win. When you trade back and still get the player you were targeting at No. 14 at your new spot at No. 17, it is an even bigger win. With the 17th overall pick, New England selected Oregon cornerback, Christian Gonzalez.
The Patriots were such big fans of Gonzalez that they even explored the possibility of moving up in the draft to secure the chance to select him. They resisted that urge and it worked out in their favor, as they kept all of their assets, added one more pick and still nabbed him.
Gonzalez fills a huge void on the Patriots’ roster as they needed some help at cornerback. They saw J.C. Jackson leave as a free agent in 2022 and Stephon Gilmore was traded in 2021 to the Carolina Panthers.
The former Duck should step into a prominent role in the defense right away. He has some lofty goals set for himself, as he is hoping to be next in what has been a long line of talented Patriots cornerbacks. Gilmore is actually someone that Gonzalez said he learned a lot from and wants to replicate.
“Definitely I know about it,” said New England’s newest player on the history of staunch cornerback play in Foxboro. “I’m just excited to be able to get in there and play. Having great cornerbacks come out of that system. But yeah definitely watched Stephon Gilmore. He’s a great player. I want to follow in the footsteps of him.”
He will be tested early and often as there are some very talented offensive players in the AFC East. Josh Allen, Tua Tagovailoa and Aaron Rodgers are the starting quarterbacks for the Patriots’ divisional foes with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Stefon Diggs and Garrett Wilson will be lining up opposite of him at wide receiver.
Gonzalez certainly has the tools to become a shutdown corner in New England. His combination of size, length and athleticism was rivaled by very few prospects in this year’s draft class. Many analysts thought he was ticketed for a top-10 pick, but he dropped down the draft board and the Patriots are ecstatic about how things turned out.
