Has outstanding size and length. Prototypical size
Has the make up of a #1 corner on a team
Has developed year on year
Supreme athlete who is athletically gifted
Is both speedy and shifty
Has the quick footwork to change direction
Has substantial bend in his hips to get in and out of his breaks
Will be an excellent tester through the pre-draft process.
Is really physical
A decisive, steady tackler who completes his tackles.
Has good route recognition and incredible anticipation in coverage and in routes
Is versatile but works best on the outside
He has outstanding instincts. Plays with decisive inclination and has the intuition to read what is about to happen
Reads to the quarterback’s eyes and is the first to react.
Is patient enough to let the play happen before he reacts at the right moment.
Plays with calmness, balance and control while also playing confident
Understands leverage and uses his calm body control to dominate
Reads and reacts extremely well
Extremely flexible and fluid movement skills
Active quick footwork
Able to smoothly flip his hips
WEAKNESSES
Needs to improve his route recognition. It improved in 2022 but he still has room to grow
Needs to keep tighter during routes. Has a tendency to stand off and react on certain plays
Needs to play with more strength. Stronger receivers can shrug him off
SUMMARY
Christian Gonzalez is an extremely gifted athlete who has a really physical and agile play style. He is a prototypical corner who combines size, athleticism, instincts and production. A transfer to Oregon from Colorado in 2022 has allowed him to gain more production and show his ball skills. A player who continues to grow year after year, teams will be happy with his development and should be confident they can iron out some aspects of his game. A member of Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List before the 2022 season, Christian Gonzalez has the athletic ability, size, physicality and ball skills to be selected early in the first round.
