New England Patriots trade down and land top CB

The New England Patriots traded down three slots in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft and somehow landed the top cornerback prospect.  The Patriots traded down with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Pats moved down to the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and netted another draft pick because of that.  With three major needs at wide receiver, cornerback, and offensive tackle, the team took Christian Gonzalez, CB, from Oregon.

Gonzalez has it all, and exactly what the Patriots need.  He’s got the size, which was a huge need for the Pats at this position.  He’s 6’1″ and 200 pounds.

He’s got the speed.  He has the athleticism.  He has the ability to play multiple ways in the defense and is a true fit for Bill Belichick.

Even though the Patriots were missing a true CB1 last year, they still fielded one of the top defenses in the NFL.  Adding a CB1 to the mix in Gonzalez is going to keep that unit strong and will bring a much needed boost to the secondary.

Devin McCourty also retired, so the secondary was truly in need of help.  Don’t look now, but the Patriots can field a feared secondary in 2023 with Gonzalez, Kyle Dugger, and the trio of Jones cornerbacks.

As we move into day two, I’d expect the New England Patriots to come away with an offensive tackle and a wide receiver with their next picks.  They could also use an edge rusher, but they should turn their focus to fixing the offense, which they’ve tried to do this offseason by bringing in Bill O’Brien as the Offensive Coordinator.

They also signed Mike Gesicki, James Robinson, and JuJu Smith-Schuster to help the offense.  All three are talented players at their respective positions, but more help is needed, especially at wide receiver.