Welcome to the inaugural edition of the 2023 NFL Draft Focus. In this series, we will look at the incoming prospects hoping their names will be heard on draft night. Be sure to check often as we will produce content until the event’s start.
BACKGROUND
Christian Gonzalez is a cornerback prospect from Texas. He attended The Colony High School in Texas and played multiple positions such as wide receiver and special teams. 247 Sports listed him as a four-star cornerback. After decommiting from Purdue, Christian decided to attend the University of Colorado.
COLLEGE CAREER
As a freshman, Gonzalez was getting reps and played as a full-time cornerback for the Buffaloes. He had 25 tackles and five pass deflections. He played in every game as well. He made an even bigger leap as a sophomore when he had 53 tackles and five pass breakups. After an amazing sophomore season, he decided to transfer to the University of Oregon.
2022-2023 COLLEGE CAREER
The move to Oregon worked for Christian as he showcased his talents to a national level. As a junior, he had 51 total tackles, seven passes deflected, and four interceptions. His best performance came against his former team, Colorado. He had two interceptions as Oregon won 49-10. His performance for the season gave him First-Team All-Pac 12.
STRENGTHS: Instincts
Christian is at his best in zone coverage. Here he can easily see the QB’s eyes and determine his move. He moves very smoothly and can catch up if his matchup takes a step on him. His long limbs then make it easy for him to make deflections on a pass. Having a 6’2″ cornerback is very helpful, especially with elite WRs who have everything working for them.
WEAKNESSES: Strength
His very lean frame can be a concern as bigger WRs can easily push him for separation. Strength can be easily worked on at the next level and hopefully, this problem will be addressed soon. Once he gains more mass, he’ll be a scary cornerback in the NFL.
PLAYER COMPARISON: Patrick Surtain
TEAMS WHO COULD DRAFT HIM
Christian Gonzalez has flown up draft boards and mock drafts have slated him to be at least in the Top 10. He seems to be the first or second non-EDGE defensive player expected to be taken. Look for teams that don’t need a QB to look at him. Detroit at 6th or Atlanta at 8th are ideal spots for him as they need a shutdown corner.
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