New England Patriots players had plenty of positive things to say about rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez during OTAs over the last few weeks.
It turns out they are making similar comments behind the scenes, too.
Former Patriots safety Devin McCourty recently spoke to some players about Gonzalez, and they are pretty impressed by what the 2023 first-round draft pick has shown so far.
"I hate when people rank rookies over guys who have had success in the NFL," McCourty said Thursday on NFL Network show "Good Morning Football." "But I’ve talked to some of those guys and they’re like, 'Man, Gonzalez, he can play.'"
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"They were like, 'Man, we’ll see how it plays out when we go and actually play real football, but shorts and a t-shirt and just a helmet on, the guy looks great.' They love watching him play, they love seeing him develop. I think they’re excited about that.”
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Whether it's his size (6-foot-1, 201 pounds), speed (4.38 40-time), quickness, hands, football IQ -- Gonzalez has all the tools needed to be a very good cornerback early in his NFL career. It'll take him some time to learn the defense and get used to the physicality and speed of the pro game, but the talent level and physical traits are quite impressive.
Gonzalez being a reliable player as a rookie is actually pretty important for the Patriots if their defense is going to build on last season's success. It's hard to win in today's NFL without strong cornerback play, especially when you compete in the AFC East and have to go against top-tier wide receivers such as Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Stefon Diggs and Garrett Wilson multiple times per season.
It's a lot to ask of Gonzalez, but he was a first-round pick and considered by some experts as a top 10 player in his draft class for a reason.
