The New England Patriots had a big test in a joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday, and one of the matchups to watch was wide receiver AJ Brown against second-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Brown had nothing but nice things to say about the 2023 first-round pick.
“He's a great player,” AJ Brown said, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “I had picked him coming out two years ago as the best defensive back in the draft. He's a great player. He gave me good work today.”
Christian Gonzalez got off to a good start as a rookie in the 2023 NFL season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4. Still, he is a promising player for the Patriots heading into 2024, as they try to establish a young core of players.
Going into the 2023 NFL Draft, Gonzalez was viewed as essentially a lock for a top-10 pick, but he surprisingly slid. Devon Witherspoon was the first cornerback off of the board at No. 5 to the Seattle Seahawks, and then the Washington Commanders made a surprising selection by taking Emmanuel Forbes with the No. 16 pick, which left Gonzalez there for the Patriots at No. 17.
It will be interesting to see how much or if Gonzalez plays at all in Thursday's preseason game against the Eagles. Often when teams have joint practices, starters do not play in games. For a veteran like Brown, it would be a bit surprising to see him get many reps, if at all. A younger player like Gonzalez could see some time in the game. Still, it is encouraging for Gonzalez to go up against an elite receiver like Brown and have the wide receiver come away as impressed as he was.
Patriots defense could be a strength
The expectations are not high for the Patriots this season, as the talent on the offensive side of the ball is not viewed as very good, and rookie quarterback Drake Maye likely will not play very much if at all this year. However, there are some solid pieces on the defensive side of the ball, including Gonzalez.
In the secondary with Gonzalez are two solid safetis in Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers. There are solid players on the defensive line as well. Christian Barmore is dealing with blood clots, but hopefully he can return at some point, as he is a very good player. Davon Godchaux is solid as well and just signed an extension. Matthew Judon's contract situation is in flux, but he is still on the roster as well.
It will be interesting to see if the Patriots' defense can keep them in games this season.
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