The New England Patriots were at the right place at the right time to draft former Oregon star cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft.
Even after trading down from pick No. 14, the Patriots still managed to come away with a player many projected as a top-10 draft pick.
Some would have preferred to see New England stay on the offensive side of the ball and draft either a receiver or offensive tackle. But a strong argument could be made that Gonzalez was the best player on the board.