Patriots vet: Christian Gonzalez is ‘going to be one of the best players in the game’

"He has every attribute that you want in a corner."

Christian Gonzalez has been a full participant so far during spring football. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

June 12, 2024

2 minutes to read

Christian Gonzalez has just four games of NFL experience under his belt.

But even with that small sample size, Patriots veteran corner Jonathan Jones believes he’s seen enough to label the 21-year-old defensive back as one of the top young players in the league today.

“He has every attribute that you want in a corner,” Jones said of Gonzalez after Wednesday’s minicamp practice at Gillette Stadium. “He’s just continuing to build his mental game. Physically, he’s what you want in a corner, and he’s just continuing to develop. He’s going to be one of the best players in the game.”

Gonzalez did little last season to prove Jones wrong. New England’s 2023 first-round pick (No. 17 overall) earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors in September before missing the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury suffered in Week 4.

Pressed into CB1 reps right out of the gate as a rookie, Gonzalez more than held his own in his first four games with New England.

In those matchups, Gonzalez was matched up against some of the top receivers in the league — including A.J. Brown (Eagles, Week 1), Tyreek Hill (Dolphins, Week 2), Garrett Wilson (Jets, Week 3), and CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys, Week 4).

“This is a dude that can absolutely ball,” ESPN’s Ryan Clark said of Gonzalez last season. “And he’s able to do it in different dimensions, whether it’s press coverage, off-coverage, even in zone.”

Despite his early end to the 2023 season, Gonzalez stressed that he hasn’t been limited at all this preseason after going under the knife to repair a torn labrum. The young corner said he’d never missed a game due to injury at any level of football before this past year, and that he’s has been cleared as a full participant during OTAs and minicamp.

“I’m feeling good. Y’all seen it out there. I’m feeling good,” Gonzalez said of his health.

A stingy New England defense will need Gonzalez to continue to take steps forward after his abbreviated rookie season — with a 1-on-1 matchup with Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase likely on tap for Week 1 of the 2024 regular season.

So far, Gonzalez feels as though he’s on the right track for a strong sophomore campaign.

“The spring is very good to get back on your feet after the season and just get back into that,” Gonzalez acknowledged. “And you just want to keep your feet hot.

“We talk about that in the DB room — keeping your feet hot, keeping everything fast-twitch, so you don’t lose a step in the offseason, you gain a step in the offseason and that just gives you the momentum to get through training camp and into the season.”