Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has long been one of the most popular coaches in the NFL. He strikes you as an uncle-like figure; a no-nonsense guy when it comes to preparation and competition but also just a normal guy, capable of expressing his full range of emotions.

That's helped him become one of the most discussed coaches among the players at the 2023 NFL Combine, with Oregon Ducks star cornerback Christian Gonzalez the most recent athlete to compliment the soon-to-be 51-year-old.

Gonzalez would call Tomlin “real” and “relatable,” according to CBS Sports reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala. Kinhabwala adds that Gonzalez says he called his dad to say that Tomlin is “even cooler than they thought.”

With the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers may not be able to draft Gonzalez, a player that could legitimately be selected in the top-10. However, if they do, people will be able to look back at this combine and may draw a conclusion that it was the genesis of the connection between the two.

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Gonzalez hits all the boxes a fast and athletic defensive back that stands tall at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. A willing tackler with 77 tackles over the past two seasons, and instinctive with four interceptions and seven pass deflections in 2022, Gonzalez would be a major acquisition for a Steelers defense that may need a major upgrade at cornerback if they find themselves unable to re-sign Cameron Sutton.

Even if they do re-sign Sutton, the injury history of Ahkello Witherspoon could provide impetus for them to take a cornerback like Gonzalez early in the draft.