At the combine in 2020, a New England Patriots scout told me that Bill Belichick had planned to leave the combine on Saturday, but when he realized the cornerbacks were doing an on-field workout on Sunday, Oshae Brissett Jersey the greatest coach of all time decided to put off his travel plans a road trip from Pro Day to Pro Day and stick around for the final day in Indianapolis.Clear Belichicks schedule! The coach cant mi s these workouts."That man loves his cornerbacks," the scout said.And, of course, the Patriots didnt even draft a cornerback that year.During his career with New England, Belichick has spent six second-round picks on the position. (One every three or four years.) The Patriots coach also spent big money on cornerback Stephon Gilmore in free agency and took a risk on Darrelle Revis with a trade. But he doesnt often take cornerbacks with high draft picks, and perhaps because he is so good at developing them in later rounds (Asante Samuel) and undrafted free agency (Malcolm Butler, J.C. Jackson, Jon Jones).And yet Belichick took former Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the 17th overall pick, the teams second-highest selection since 2008.Gonzalez is a one-of-a-kind prospect, even for a coach like Belichick with a deep understanding of the position. Gonzalez has some outlier traits on film and with his testing numbers that make him simply different from the corners Belichick has drafted in years past. Lets start with the good elements of Gonzalezs profile.The former Oregon Ducks standout is arguably the best athlete in the C.J. Miles Jersey entire 2023 NFL Draft. He is at the top end of every cornerback measurement. Hes 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds. He ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the combine with a 1.54-second 10-yard split. His vertical leap is 41.5 inches and his broad jump is 11-feet-1-inch.If you're one of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Jersey those who can contextualize those sorts of measurements, your jaw just hit the floor. For those that are unfamiliar with all of those measurements, youre beginning to think you should stop reading. So let me keep you around with another point of context for his athleticism.The rookie is a better athlete than Devin McCourty, who was once a cornerback prospect. Gonzalez is even a better prospect than cornerback Terrance Wheatley, a draft bust who was a sensational athlete. Using the Relative Athletic Score, Gonzalez is the best athlete Belichick has drafted in the third round or higher (acknowledging that we dont have data on some of his older picks). Gonzalez also blows undrafted cornerbacks J.C. Jackson and Malcolm Butler out of the water, for those that are curious. And yes, Gonzalez is a better athlete than Gilmore.There was really just one former Patriots cornerback whose athleticism could compare: Revis.Gonzalezs film makes it clear hes not just a track star. But there are some i sues with his game. about Gonzalezs challenges as a tackler, the main concern for evaluators around the NFL.Thats the second part of what makes Gonzalez unlike any prospect Belichick has Serge Ibaka Jersey drafted. Yes, hes a sensational athlete. But the tackling blind spot is also an outlier for the Patriots coach, who has long made a point of adding defensive backs who arent a liability in the run game.When asked a double-barrel question about Gonzalezs ball skills and tackling abilities, Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh completely omitted a comment about the tackling."A couple of interceptions against Colorado, one against Oregon State. Some impre sive plays," Groh said after Round 1. "You saw his ability to catch the ball at the combine. So feel pretty good about Christian and being able to bring him in.Even though Groh remains optimistic about Gonzalezs ball skills, the prospect isnt truly a ballhawk. He has yet to anticipate pa ses or instinctively gravitate toward the ball.Clearly, Belichick thinks Gonzalez can grow into those parts of his game. The rookie cornerback has the height, weight and speed to hit hard and close on the football for a pick. Every prospect has clear weakne ses that require coaching.Even with those weakne ses, Gonzalez is just different. And not just in the way that every person is unique. Gonzalez's athleticism is superlative a human hyperbole. And he plays what seems to be Belichicks favorite position. Putting aside Alex Len Jersey the quarterbacks, this match might be the most compelling in the draft.Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at . NFL trending in this topic
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