Former Defensive Player of the Year sees himself in Patriots' Christian Gonzalez

When the Patriots went into the 2023 NFL Draft with their highest first-round draft pick in several years, there were a lot of options available to improve their roster, especially on offense. There was a belief that Bill Belichick would take one of the best receivers of the class, or a starting left tackle, both of which had been weaker parts of the team the season before.

Instead, the legendary head coach traded back and eventually selected Christian Gonzalez, a cornerback out of Oregon. Besides the initial shock of passing on available offensive help, it was completely unexpected that one of the top two cornerbacks of the entire draft fell into the Patriots' lap at pick 17.

It was part of the reason analysts and fans had difficulty arguing with Belichick's decision to take Gonzalez instead of a lineman: How could you pass on a talent like him?

He proved to be worth every bit of the pick as a rookie, even though he was only on the field for just over three games before suffering a season-ending injury. However, he had already shown to be dominant, covering some of the best receivers in the league, like A.J. Brown and Tyreek Hill, and is expected to be even better in year two this fall.

The return of Gonzo to the lineup has been one of the most highly anticipated parts of the Patriots' offseason, and the excitement might have reached a fever pitch in recent days.

A longtime fan favorite and former Defensive Player of the Year revealed he's mentoring the young cornerback and couldn't stop raving about how good of a player he is already, with sky-high potential to be one of the best in the league.

Stephon Gilmore raving about Christian Gonzalez could not be a better endorsement

Free agent veteran Stephon Gilmore recently spoke about his relationship with Gonzalez to ESPN and how he views his performance thus far and his future.

Gilmore revealed he had been a fan of the former Oregon duck since he was drafted. He even texted the Patriots cornerbacks coach as soon as the pick was made to share his approval and excitement for the team landing such a great player.

Because of that, Gilmore has taken it upon himself to establish a relationship with young players, including Gonzalez, and hopes to teach them about the game from his perspective, something he said he wishes he had when he was just starting in the NFL.

When speaking about Gonzalez specifically, Gilmore took his assessment of him a step further by giving him the endorsement of a lifetime. He might not have realized it at the time, but the fact that he sees a bit of himself in Gonzo is a big deal for him and the Patriots.

"I tell him all the time, 'I wish I would have known what I know now in Year 5 or 4.' But if I can teach a guy like him, in his second year, the sky is the limit for him. I see a lot of myself in him. The thing about playing corner is the mind game. If you get the mind right, I think he has all the ability to be whatever he wants to be."

Imagine the Patriots have found their new Stephon Gilmore in Christian Gonzalez.

What a final first-round pick for Belichick if he is able to live up to that comparison. He proved he could hang as a rookie against some of the most talented pass catchers in the league, so there's no reason to believe that Gonzalez won't be able to pick up where he left off last year.

And now that he is receiving mentorship from a guy like Gilmore, who played the best years of his career as a Patriot, Gonzalez is in a great situation to thrive and take advantage of the big opportunity he has to become a star in the NFL.

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