Patriots owner Robert Kraft didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts with respect to the draft a month ago. He was counting on the addition of youth to help get his team over the hump.
“I look to the addition of draft choices to make a difference,” Kraft said at the owner’s meetings.
That meant it was Bill Belichick’s job to make it happen.
The Patriots needed to add some A-list, blue chip talent to their roster. They needed to add dynamic playmakers on both offense and defense.
So what did Belichick do in the first round toward that end?
Well, he didn’t draft a quarterback, and he didn’t trade Mac Jones, both of which were hot items on the rumor mill in recent days.
Instead, to no surprise, he traded down the board, handing No. 14 over to the Steelers, and moving down four spots to No. 17.
The good news?
Belichick still landed a stud in a position of need, reeling in Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez three spots after his initial spot. In a draft that wasn’t flush with blue-chip players, cornerback Gonzalez is certainly a blue-chip talent.
While wide receiver was the preference for a first round choice — Jaxon Smith-Njigba was still on the board — Gonzalez will help solidify the defensive backfield.
With all the top quarterbacks (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott) on the schedule for the Patriots this season, along with their various arsenals loaded with multiple top flight receivers to defend, it behooved the Patriots to land an impact corner.
Last season, without a shutdown corner, the Pats had difficulty holding some of the top offenses, featuring top receiving groups. Again, with Miami having stars Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Cincinnati with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the LA Chargers with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, the secondary is going to be up against it to keep the score down.
Gonzalez, who stands at 6-foot-1, 197 pounds, essentially gives the Patriots something they don’t have. He adds much-needed size to the cornerback room, which also has Jonathan Jones (5-foot-10), Jack Jones (5-foot-11), Marcus Jones (5-foot-8).
He’s a big, fluid, athletic defender and physical tackler who excels in man coverage.
On his video conference with the media, Gonzalez said he was “excited” to take on the competition, especially in a stacked AFC.
Given the Patriots have lost several shutdown-type corners in Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson in recent years, it was important to land another cornerback of that caliber to go along with the group in-house. Gonzalez just gives the Patriots much more flexibility in terms of how they can defend all the super-powered offenses.
“I love the pick,” Patriots Hall of Famer Rodney Harrison texted shortly after the move. “I screamed like it was my son getting drafted and his name is Christian (who plays with Tennessee). I just love this kid.”
While plenty of teams were aggressive to get the players they wanted, moving up the board, the Patriots shrewdly sat back, got an extra pick, and still landed Gonzalez.
Illinois corner Devon Witherspoon was gone with the fifth overall pick to Seattle, and the Commanders took Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes ahead of the Patriots.
But Gonzalez remained.
Belichick could have taken Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones, another top need, at No. 14 if they stood pat. He could have helped protect Mac Jones with that pick. But they moved down and started on defense with the first pick.
Gonzalez ran a 4.38 in the 40 at the combine. He has the talent and ability to be a cornerstone piece in the defensive backfield for a long time.
“I’m very excited to play under (Coach Belichick),” Gonzalez said. “Can’t get a coach that’s better than that.”
Gonzalez said he’s also studied Gilmore quite a bit, and is looking forward to playing in a system that’s had many greats (Ty Law, Darrell Revis, Gilmore) at the position.
“I’ve watched Stephon Gilmore. He’s a great player,” said Gonzalez.”I just want to follow in the footsteps of (him).”
If he does, the Pats just hit a home run.