Oregon Ducks defensive back Christian Gonzalez (0) returns an interception in the third quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Christian Gonzalez CB Oregon | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Christian Gonzalez CB Oregon
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 04/21/2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.38 seconds (88%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 22.6 DOB: 06/28/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |
| Last Updated: 04/21/2023 | |
| Draft Year: 2023 | |
| 40 time: 4.38 seconds (88%*) | |
| Age: 22.6 DOB: 06/28/2002 | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 89.0 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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77% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 79.3 | |
| Tackling: |
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83% |
| Run Defense: |
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76% |
| Coverage: |
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85% |
| Zone: |
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79% |
| Man/Press: |
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83% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Mid
Overall Rank:
#12
Position rank:
#2
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| College Games: 30 College Snaps: 1920 | ||
247 RATING: 90/100
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| Ovr Rank: #326 Pos Rank: #31 | ||
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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Drafted: ROUND: 1 - Pick Number: 17 (NE)
Draft Profile: Bio
Christian Gonzalez attended The Colony High School and was rated a 4-star prospect by 247 Sports with a scout's rating of 0.90. He played defensive back and wide receiver for The Colony and coach Rudy Rangel for two seasons, compiling a 17-5 record, including a 12-2 mark in the Division 5A-1 Standings. On defense in his career, he had 46 tackles, 17 pass breakups, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Following high school, Gonzalez opted to join Colorado after being heavily recruited.In 2020 as a freshman, Gonzalez saw action in 6 games and played a total of 391 snaps at cornerback for the Buffaloes. He recorded 22 tackles, an assist, while adding 5 stops. In coverage Gonzalez notched up 4 pass breakups, and a solid QB rating when targetted of 85.3.
As a sophomore in 2021 he played in 12 games and logged 811 snaps for the Buffaloes. He made 48 tackles, 6 assists, and had 20 stops. In coverage, he totaled just 4 pass breakups, and QB rating when targetted of 90.0.
After the season's end Gonzalez transferred to Oregon where as a junior for the Ducks in 2022 Gonzalez saw his production improve drastically. He played in 12 games and took part in 718 snaps for the Ducks. He chalked up 45 tackles, 13 assists, and added 12 stops. In the secondary Gonzalez forced 6 pass breakups, 4 interceptions, and gave up an impressive QB rating when targetted of 74.7.
Honors & awards
- Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference first team
- Phil Steele All-Pac-12 first team
- Associated Press All-Pac-12 second team
- Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 second team
- Phil Steele All-America fourth team
- Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week (Week 10)
- 2021 Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Super speedy athletic corner - ran track as a senior where he recorded 21.6 seconds in the 200m at the Texas State Championships.
- Made Bruce Feldman's Freaks List at #25 - he wrote "Gonzalez wowed the Ducks’ coaches this offseason with this athleticism, hitting 23.3 mph on the GPS, vertical-jumping 42 inches and power-cleaning 325 pounds."
- Tracks the ball well downfield and shows good ball skills, including the ability to go up and high-point it in contested-catch situations.
- Very good instincts, especially in the box. Sound and solid tackler. Takes good angles in pursuit.
- Plays with the natural balance and ultra-quick feet to mirror underneath, and he’s tremendous at reading routes and reading quarterbacks.
- Has good cover skills, athleticism and big-play ability to be a lead cornerback if Gonzalez matures.
- He’s tall-framed with long arms to match. With his powerful hands, straight-line speed, and fluidity in his hips, turning and chasing downfield shouldn’t be a problem.
- Closing speed and willingness to make the big hit make him one of the more versatile safeties in the class.
- Has the change-of-direction ability to mirror underneath but did solid work out of press and off coverage.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Has produced only a single year of elite play (2022 at Oregon), his previous two years were average. In 2021 receivers managed a combined 90 QB rating when covered by him
- More of natural man corner - not fluid in zone
- Not physical enough against bigger wideouts - could do with adding a little weight to his frame
- Tends to play conservatively thinking his speed will bail him out and gives too much cushion when playing off
- Susceptible to double moves, though that could be coached out of him. But the problem is that Gonzalez doesn’t track the ball downfield, and he seems to lack the ball skills to break up plays.
- Not fully consistent on making the interception in front of receivers. Best lined well off the line of scrimmage due to a high, slightly stiff backpedal.
Player Comparison
Aqib TalibScouting Report: Summary
Christian Gonzalez has elite speed and quickness showcased by his almost Olympic track time. He's got ideal size at 6-1 and 200 lbs and was outstanding following his transfer to Oregon in 2022 where he finally put up a season worthy of his athletic ability.He however isn't a perfect prospect - his technique is a little unpolished and he'll need development at the next level, and could struggle against bigger receivers at the NFL level early in his career.
Gonzalez has crazy upside and has the potential to be a lockdown corner, however, if he fails to develop he'll be a fringe starter - despite this risk he's a no brainer first-round pick, with some scouts give giving him top 15 looks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Christian Gonzalez percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Christian Gonzalez (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
8.6
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
1.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.