Bold prediction has young Patriots defender earning All-Pro honors in 2024

As we thunder towards the beginning of training camp and a grueling two weeks of hot takes about who will be a star based on how good they are at practicing it's prediction time. Some predictions are tinged with optimism, but this one is very much rooted in reality.

Napoleon Bonaparte, an 18th-century battle loser and famous short person, is credited with saying, “Ability is nothing without opportunity.” In Gonzalez's case, opportunity equates to staying healthy and spending time on the field to demonstrate his ability.

Dakota Randall of Pro Football Network does say this is an aggressive take, but it isn’t. Headed into the 2023 season, Gonzalez was in a two-horse race with Devon Witherspoon for defensive rookie of the year (partly because Jalen Carter had some legal issues, and everyone underestimated DeMeco Ryans’ impact in Houston). 

It is certainly not an aggressive take when you know that Randall also predicts the Patriots will end the 2024 season with a winning record in the same article. 

The only thing that could potentially prevent Gonzalez from becoming an All-Pro is his health. Although his injury record in college has been described as non-existent, he never had to play more than 12 games in a season during his time in Oregon. 

Even Randall mentions being concerned by Gonzalez’s slender build, but playing on artificial turf may be more of a concern. Thankfully, the Patriots only have to do that in New York this year. 

Some osteopaths believe there’s a very high chance of a dislocated shoulder relapsing, especially in young people. But hopefully, Gonzalez’s nearly 11 months of rest and rehabilitation will prevent that. 

Christian Gonzalez being named an All-Pro isn't far-fetched

In 2023, the All-pro cornerbacks were DaRon Bland and Sauce Gardner. Gardner is the present-day Darelle Revis, and nobody has been shifting him out of his spot for a while. 

But Bland had a freakish 2023 season. He made nine interceptions, which is excellent (but five off Night Train Lane’s single-season record), and he returned five of them for touchdowns. That’s the freaky part. 

In doing that, Bland broke a record held by three different players. Ken Houston, Jim Kearney, and Eric Allen. Allen was the most recent player to return four for scores, but he did it in 1993! It’s unlikely anyone will do that this season, so the second spot in the All-Pro team is up for grabs. 

For his part, Gonzalez made four interceptions during his time in Oregon, all coming in his final year when he played as “defensive back” rather than just a plain old cornerback (he lined up as a safety as well as on the corner). 

That sort of versatility allied to the Patriots' “hybrid” players like Kyle Dugger, Marte Mapu, and Sione Takitaki will confuse opposing quarterbacks from the get-go. It should also allow DeMarcus Covington to line up with some pretty exotic formations (maybe it’s time to bring back the “amoeba” defense). 

In his article, Randall highlights how, despite a truncated rookie year, Gonzalez has already lined up opposite Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown, and Garrett Wilson. Even against such stellar opponents, opposing quarterbacks didn’t record a passer rating above 96.5 (out of 158.3) against the 22-year-old! 

Gonzalez certainly has the talent to be a first-team All-pro selection in 2024, we just have to hope he has the opportunity this time, too. 

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