Christian Gonzalez Report

Christian Gonzalez

Pos: CB

School: Oregon

Ht. 6’1”

Wt. 197

Games Watched: Georgia, Oregon State, Stanford

One Liner: Fluid cornerback who wins with technique, athletic ability and hip fluidity

Strengths: 

• Elite hip technique. Gonzalez is arguably the most fluid mover at the cornerback position in this draft class. His hips are cleanly greased and allow him to rotate with great body control in just about any direction to help with pursuit and mirroring. When beaten, Gonzalez relies on his fluid hips to bring him back into position where he will then turn on the jets with his great long speed.
• Very good athleticism. Gonzalez is a great athlete who has nice transitions from press and off man into his mirroring downfield. He has the ability to plant and go and win with his ability to change direction fluidly in and out of his breaks. Against curls and slants, Gonzalez’s collapses from his off man positioning to contest passes thrown in the short levels.
• Very good frame. At 6’1 197 pounds with 32 inch arms, Gonzalez possesses the ideal frame for a boundary cornerback in today’s NFL. He uses his long arms to generate solid punches and jabs in press to disrupt the release of outside receivers, and his height allows him to stay involved in all 50/50 balls thrown his way.
• Good instincts. Gonzalez plays with good route anticipation, and is mirroring the receivers routes pretty well for the most part. He shows a solid understanding of route combinations and what receivers may do based on where they have aligned. 

Weaknesses:

• Adequate play strength. Though 197 pounds, it looks like Gonzalez can get bullied at the catch point and is vulnerable to slight contact in man situations. He could look to play stronger and maybe add some weight, but cautiously not to deter his athletic ability.
• Adequate ball skills. At the catch point, I hoped to see Gonzalez get a hand up and compete more aggressively in 50/50 situations. He has the arm length to make a difference in one on one situations, yet he often doesn’t finish off the play with the final motor to make a play on the ball.

Overall Assessment: Christian Gonzalez has all the tools to be an elite cornerback prospect in the NFL. He has ideal size, plus athleticism and great fluidity. He checks off almost every requirement you’d have for a corner and will be a scheme versatile player as a result of this. Gonzalez is not a finished product yet however, and should look to play a bit stronger in man situations while also finishing off plays better by using his arms to make a play on the ball. If Gonzalez is able to make these minor tweaks and amp up his aggression as a boundary corner, he can be an elite presence at the next level. 

Scheme Fit: Scheme versatile corner

Pick Projection: Top 15

Grade: 6.66