Returning Patriots ‘Freak’ Expected To Be 1 Of NFL’s Best

Talented Christian Gonzales didn’t do much in his rookie campaign, but the New England Patriots could see the best of him in the upcoming season. The Patriots “freak” has the right skills to make an impact and Patriots fans are excited about his performance in the 2024 NFL season. NFL analysts have great expectations from Gonzales and have already ranked him high.

CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso said that as a “freak athletically with super-smooth hips and brilliant route-recognition skill, Gonzales was born to play in New England’s defense.”

Bill Belichick was in charge of the defense over the years and he built some of the best defensive schemes in league history. Belichick cut ties with the Patriots, but it looks like newly-hired head coach Jerod Mayo plans to embrace the same scheme fit. Mayo was really excited about the new beginning and promised to make great changes. However, he did follow the defensive pattern. The Patriots head coach will take a good care of the defense and DeMarcus Covington will give him a hand in the process.

Patriots may see the best of their “freak”

Gonzales “has the athletic makeup of a premier perimeter cornerback,” per Trapasso. He suffered a shoulder injury in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys. The torn labrum brought his rookie campaign to an end. Well, the talented player feels good now and he can play his best football in 2024. Gonzales can “insert himself into the conversation as one of the league’s best, young, sticky coverage defenders.”

The young cornerback caught the attention of pretty much every analysts. Everyone saw him handle Miami Dolphins Tyreek Hill in Week 2. Gonzales was marked as a strong cornerback and the sky was his limit. Unfortunately, his injury destroyed his hopes for a good season.

Christian Gonzalez had the LOCKS on Tyreek Hill last night 😳

Gonzalez was targeted just TWICE while he was in coverage on Hill.

He didn’t allow a SINGLE reception and came away with an interception on one of the targets.

Gonzalez is currently allowing a passer rating of 58.5… pic.twitter.com/oNNDvdaWqz

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) September 18, 2023

The Patriots need all the help they can get and Gonzales is the perfect fit for their scheme. The team lost Jack Jones and Jalen Mills, meaning they lack depth in the cornerback unit.