The New England Patriots couldn't have asked for a much better result with their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Patriots selected University of Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick after trading back from the No. 14 overall pick, getting a fourth-round pick in the process.

Gonzalez was a consensus top-10 prospect by evaluators entering the draft and was constantly picked in the top 10 in most drafts. So, not only did the Patriots grab a top prospect later than expected, but they also gained a pick in the process.

Naturally, there might be some questioning as to why Gonzalez fell to 17. There could be a reason, but early indications and reports don't seem to suggest there are any red flags surrounding the former Duck.

Gonzalez is almost exactly what the Patriots need in their secondary. At 6-foot-1 and 197 pounds, Gonzalez immediately becomes New England's biggest cornerback. That allows him to at least size up with some of the game's top receivers, too, as that was their biggest weakness in 2022.

Not only is he big, but Gonzalez was also incredibly productive at Oregon this past season. He had four interceptions in 2022, while opposing quarterbacks completed just 39 passes on 64 targets for 495 yards and three touchdowns with a 74.7 passer rating when throwing in his direction, per Pro Football Focus.

Prior to 2022, Gonzalez played his first two seasons of college ball at the University of Colorado. Even though he didn't record an interception over his two seasons in Boulder, opposing quarterbacks only threw for 559 yards on 91 targets in Gonzalez's direction during his time there.

In terms of traits, Gonzalez might be the top athlete at corner in this draft. He ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and a 1.54 10-yard split at the combine. His “top-end speed” is one of his strengths in NFL Network's Lance Zierlein's profile of him. Zierlein also praised Gonzalez's hip work, which matches well with his size and athleticism that gives him potential to be an elite corner.

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There are some concerns about Gonzalez's ability to tackle in the open field because he's a bit skinny and only recorded 35 solo tackles last season. His ball-playing ability has been questioned as well. But after recording four interceptions last season, there's certainly hope that he can improve there.

Overall, the Patriots really couldn't have done better in the first round.

Grade: A+