2023 mock NFL Draft 2.0: Fallout from free agency wave and NFL Combine
Christian Gonzalez. 7. player. 820. . Cornerback . Ducks
On the clock: NFL Draft Pick No. 7: Las Vegas Raiders – Christian Gonzalez, Cornerback, Oregon
Mock Draft 1.0 – Quentin Johnson, Wide Receiver, TCU
Rock Ya-Sin wasn’t retained and despite signing Duke Shelley and Brandon Facyson the Las Vegas Raiders still need a replacement in that area.
Christian Gonzalez is the top cornerback in this class, and a successful NFL Combine might very well have cemented him as a selection in the top 10.
Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez earned a 92 overall draft score after his combine performance, best among his position group.
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 4, 2023
Gonzalez hit key "elite" thresholds for a cornerback, recording a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and a 41.5" vertical jump.@oregonfootball | #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/4M5G4YexxW
An excellent corner in man coverage, Gonzalez has the size (6-foot-2, 201 pounds) to cover bigger receivers but also the speed and twitchiness to run with more agile ones. Transferring from Colorado to Oregon for the season, Gonzalez had four interceptions and seven passes defended for the Ducks in 2022.
Gonzalez has been a bit inconsistent at times in 2022 against teams like Arizona and Washington, but his tape does shine for mostly the right reasons. With a strong predraft performance and the eternal need for lockdown corners in the pass-happy NFL, Gonzalez is a sharp riser who should be the first defensive back off the board.