New England Patriots trade down to No. 17 and draft CB Christian Gonzalez

Patriots trade down to number 17

Image Courtesy of Fox Sports

The New England Patriots were busy on the trade front Thursday night. They traded the 14th overall pick to move down to three spots for the 17th pick with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 NFL Draft. the Patriots also got an additional 4th-round pick (120th overall).

With the 17th pick, the New England Patriots selected Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez. By many mock drafts and scouting reports, Gonzalez is the top cornerback in this year's draft.

The Oregon Duck Junior stands around 6’2 and 201 pounds. He ran an impressive 4.38 in the 40-yard dash. Gonzalez started in all 12 games last year, earning first-team All-Pac 12 as he led the Ducks in interceptions with four and twenty passes deflected.

The Patriots showed interest in Gonzalez in the pre-draft process. He met with the Patriots at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Gonzalez plays as an outside cornerback but also saw time in the slot. With that versatility, he is able to use his speed and length to have the upside of a number-one corner. 

Heading into this offseason and the draft the Patriots needed to close the gap between them and the top playoff contenders. The AFC and specifically the AFC East is stacked with explosive offensive talent, and the Patriots took a step forward on Thursday night to counter that.

New England has 11 more picks in heading into the second round. However, five of those are in the sixth round or later. The Patriots must capitalize on these early picks to bring in impact players that can help in the upcoming season. Given the amount of late round picks, I would expect to see a lot of trade maneuvering by New England to move up closer to the fourth or maybe even third round.

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