The Patriots have been a widely underrated team over the last two decades, despite the countless wins and Championships they have accrued. As a result, most of their top players have been overlooked, with Tom Brady leading the way, as many still do not consider him the greatest quarterback of all time.
So seeing another star player in the making, like Christian Gonzalez, already dealing with analysts and fans downplaying his talent is unsurprising. It was apparent from the start when teams passed on taking him in the first round of the 2023 Draft, allowing the Patriots to trade down and still have him available to take.
Then came an impressive rookie season that abruptly ended due to injury, followed by what should have been a Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro sophomore season, but instead Gonzalez was snubbed from both.
Now, PFF is continuing the trend by ranking him low on their list of the top cornerbacks going into the 2025 season, adding even more chips onto Gonzalez's shoulder to use as fuel for the rest of his NFL career.
Christian Gonzalez continues to be overlooked as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL today
In their latest ranking of the top 32 cornerbacks heading into the upcoming season, PFF puts Gonzalez at No. 13, which isn't a terrible placement on the surface. This comes after they didn't view him as a top-25 player under 25 going into this season.
However, given that he is still not considered a top ten player at the position, while players currently on the rumored trade block, such as Jaire Alexander, are ahead of him, and he is only one spot ahead of another, like Jalen Ramsey, the rankings are called into question even more.
"After missing most of his rookie season due to injury, Gonzalez started the 2024 campaign slowly before catching fire in Week 4 against the 49ers. He played man coverage at a 50.1% rate last season and earned a 78.2 PFF coverage grade, which ranked ninth among cornerbacks."
Although they use their grading system to justify their rankings, that doesn't tell the entire story. Gonzalez had a shut-down season in 2024, giving opposing quarterbacks problems when trying to utilize their top receivers.
He successfully lined up against players like A.J. Brown, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tyreek Hill, among others, giving them some of their worst performances of the season. He immediately became a CB1 as a rookie and, despite missing all but three games, didn't appear to have missed a beat when he made his return in Week 1.
Gonzalez was a consistent problem for receivers hoping to help their team move the chains or score a touchdown. That is expected to continue moving forward, especially now that he will have Carlton Davis lined up on the other side, and put together an even better season in 2025. But now he will do it (again) as a disrespected cornerback that will fortunately benefit the Patriots' defense for the foreseeable future.