Patriots' Christian Gonzalez's play forced Oregon to alter practices
It was an interesting night for the New England Patriots on the first night of the 2023 draft, but in the end, they got their guy. A defensive back out of Oregon, Christian Gonzalez was selected by the Patriots with the 17th overall pick. It was a move that someone who spent a lot of […]
It was an interesting night for the New England Patriots on the first night of the 2023 draft, but in the end, they got their guy.
A defensive back out of Oregon, Christian Gonzalez was selected by the Patriots with the 17th overall pick. It was a move that someone who spent a lot of time with Gonzalez approved.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning joined "The Next Pats Podcast" to talk about Gonzalez and was clear about what he thought of the new partnership between the Patriots and Gonzalez: a "perfect fit."
"He plays the ball in the deep part of the field better than any DB that I've had and I've had a lot of them. He judges the ball extremely well in the air. He goes and gets it," Lanning told NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry. " I think that's really unique. A lot of guys can cover. A lot of guys can impact the release of a wideout, but for him to be able to go play the ball in the deep part of the field, I think is really, really impressive."
Gonzalez shined from his first moment with Oregon, which even led to a humorous rule after his first ten practices. Lanning recalls how almost every pass thrown in Gonzalez's direction would typically end as an incomplete pass or a pick, and because of his strong defensive skill, it led to a "don't throw it to (Gonzalez) rule."
During the 2022 season, Gonzalez recorded 35 solo tackles and 16 assisted tackles, with four interceptions for Oregon. The two years prior, Gonzalez played for Colorado where he recorded a total of 25 tackles his first year and 53 in his second.
"He's long. He doesn't have a lot of false steps. He's able to keep a narrow base and he's got to be able to react off of the release of the guy across from him, which I think is one of the toughest traits for a DB is to be able to react not guess," Lanning said. "He doesn't panic in the route. He going to be able to transition really smooth. It almost looked effortless at times for him."
Gonzalez is joining a former Oregon coach, with the Patriots adding Adrian Klemm as the offensive line coach. And while the two might not specifically work together, at least the 20-year-old defensive back will have a familiar face in his rookie season.
Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
