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Christian Gonzalez, CB
School: Oregon | Conference: Pac-12
College Experience: Junior | Age: 20
Height / Weight: 6’1” / 197 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 1st Round
Player Comparison: Darrelle Revis
College Statistics
Tackles | Def Int | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | Yds | TD | FF |
*2020 | Colorado | Pac-12 | FR | CB | 6 | 23 | 2 | 25 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||
2021 | Colorado | Pac-12 | FR | CB | 12 | 42 | 11 | 53 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||
*2022 | Oregon | Pac-12 | JR | DB | 12 | 35 | 15 | 50 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 118 | 29.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career | Overall | 100 | 28 | 128 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 118 | 29.5 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Colorado | 65 | 13 | 78 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
Oregon | 35 | 15 | 50 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 118 | 29.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Overview
Christian Gonzalez comes from an athletic family with a father that played basketball and older sisters that ran track. He would pursue football and track in high school. He would make it all the way to the Texas State Championship in the 200m, but he excelled on the gridiron. Playing defensive back, wide receiver, and kick returner, Gonzalez would become one of the better high school players in Texas and a four-star prospect. He would choose to play at Colorado.
Gonzalez started immediately in 2020, playing all six games for the Buffaloes and breaking up almost a pass per game. After another season starting for Colorado, Gonzalez transferred to Oregon. He immediately saw his production jump, collecting his first interception and a total of four on the season, and seven pass breakups. He ended the season named to the All-Pac-12 Team.
Strengths
- Well-built, long frame
- Hip fluidity allows him to easily stay in phase with receivers
- Squeezes receivers to the sideline
- Good ability to read and react in zone coverage
- Locates the ball easily and hands are reliable
- Versatility with some reps taken at safety and in the slot
Weaknesses
- Inconsistent physicality
- Play strength could improve as physical receivers can win some reps
- Can sometimes rely too much on his speed
- Boom or bust question with only one year of high-level production
Let’s see his work
Christian Gonzalez is just a complete player. He’s so instinctual. This is a 1000 IQ play. It’s designed for Oregon to bite on the RB in the flat with the TE slipping open behind him, but Gonzalez has eyes in the back of his head to redirect there. It stuns the QB. pic.twitter.com/AkOmEWZAYF
— PJ Moran (@PJonDraft) April 13, 2023
Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez last season:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 26, 2023
81.4 Coverage Grade
4 INTs | 6 PBUs
74.7 Passer Rating Allowed pic.twitter.com/wh2h2VJTqx
Christian Gonzalez is a CB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.95 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 13 out of 2212 CB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/Ir9MLKPHo2 pic.twitter.com/H19VqKkCMs
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 14, 2023
How he fits on the Commanders
The NFL Draft is an unpredictable beast and often does not go as planned. Christian Gonzalez is often mocked as the first cornerback drafted - usually in the top ten - for good reason. He is a naturally gifted athlete that looks like a prototypical boundary corner and plays the position effortlessly. However, I have seen more and more draft analysts considering Devon Witherspoon as CB1. Could Gonzalez fall to Washington? I doubt it, but stranger things have happened. If he’s there, I don’t see how Washington doesn’t make the pick. Gonzalez should be an immediate starter on the outside for Washington. While he’s played a lot of man coverage, he has the skills to thrive in any scheme and can even play some safety. I see very few scenarios where the Commanders do not immediately choose Gonzalez if he’s available.
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