Player: Christian Gonzalez

School: Oregon

Measurables:

• Height: 6’1”(NFL Combine)
• Weight: 197(NFL Combine)

• 40: 4.38(NFL Combine)
• 10 Yard Split: 1.54(NFL Combine)
• Bench: 14(NFL Combine)
• Vertical Jump: 41.5”(NFL Combine)
• Broad Jump: 11’1”(NFL Combine)
• 3 Cone: DNP
• 20 Yard Shuttle: DNP
• Other Notes: Gonzalez looked really good in the positional drills on top of great athletic testing. 

Graded Position Specific Traits:

• Man Coverage: 9/10
• Zone Coverage- 7.75/10
• Field Vision: 7/10
• Tackling: 8.75/10
• Run Support: 6.25/10
• Range: 6.5/10

Prospect Grade: 45.25/60; 75.4%- Multiple time pro bowler with potential to be a perennial pro bowler/All-Pro

Projected Draft Day: Early Round 1

Player Comparison: Xavien Howard

Player Summary:

Christian Gonzalez is a prospect I really like, and the craziest part is that I think he’s still a raw prospect that has a lot of potential and room to grow. The first thing I noticed about Gonzalez is that he does a pretty good job of mixing up his alignments and disguising coverages. Although based on what I saw if he had his choice, he would want to be pressed up and in your face. Regardless of his alignment though he likes to get hands on his receiver. He does have inside-outside versatility. He is also a really good tackler, and he’s fairly active against the run. 

The one thing I noticed about Gonzalez is I think he has some kind of confidence issue or something. Watch his film, and watch for plays where he gets beat off the line. The next play Gonzalez will back off and play a softer alignment/coverage. This is a habit that whoever drafts him is going to have to break. Gonzalez has a tendency to bail and show a little bit before the ball is even snapped, and in zone can drop too deep sometimes. I would like to see his spatial awareness improve a bit. The only other real note I have is that in zone he aligns himself in a way where he can see into the backfield, yet against run plays he will keep dropping even after he has seen the handoff. I don’t know if he’s not seeing it or he’s slow comprehending or he’s just being weary of a flea flicker or some kind of trick play. He flashes the ability to get down hill toward the ball carrier but doesn’t do it consistently enough. This is the primary reason why his run support grade isn’t better. It also knocks his field vision grade down a bit, but he is pretty good at reading the field on passing plays so that is still a relatively good grade.