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Oregon’s head coach has high praise for Patriots’ first-round pick Christian Gonzalez

It wasn’t a surprise that Christian Gonzalez was taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Beyond his impressive stats with the Ducks last season, the 20-year-old defensive back fits the profile of a No. 1 boundary corner at the next level.

Not only does Gonzalez have the size (6-foot-2) to hang on the outside, he possesses the speed (4.38 40-yard dash) and athleticism (41.5 inch vertical jump) to keep up with fleet-footed NFL wideouts.

Put it all together, and Oregon head coach Dan Lanning believes that the Patriots scooped up a rare talent with their first pick in last month’s draft.