New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez has been in the news for all the right reasons. The 2023 first-round pick is a star in the making, winning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors the past two years. And Patriots owner Robert Kraft wants to reward Gonzalez by keeping him with the Patriots. Yet despite all his success, Gonzalez was not the first cornerback selected in the 2023 draft. Nor the second for that matter.

Before the draft, the media spoke about five cornerbacks potentially ending up in the first round: Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon of Illinois, Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State, Maryland’s Deonte Banks and Emmanuel Forbes from Mississippi State.

After playing two years at Colorado, Gonzalez transferred to Oregon for his junior season, and his game took off. His stats were pedestrian, as he intercepted just three passes on his way to All-Conference honors (Oregon was still in the Pac-12 back then). Yet Gonzalez had the size, speed and ball skills to make an impact at the next level, displaying consistent progress on the field.

Witherspoon, on his behalf, caught fire as a senior and kept the momentum going through the predraft process. He was named Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2022 and was a consensus All-American. He was slightly smaller and slower than Gonzalez, who blew up the combine in February of 2023. Forbes probably had the most storied college career, totaling 14 interceptions and 21 PBUs during his time at Mississippi State. He was also named to multiple All-American and All-Conference teams and stood out during the 2023 combine.

Here were my final cornerback rankings just before the 2023 NFL draft:

In fact, Gonzalez was the 5th highest overall player on my board for the 2023 NFL Draft. Only Defensive lineman Jalen Carter, edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., running back Bijan Robinson and defensive end Tyree Wilson had better grades.

I had Gonzalez rated the highest due to his combination of size, speed, football skill and upside. I thought highly of Witherspoon, though I did not believe he possessed the same upside as Gonzalez. Forbes was a defensive back I did not rate highly for the next level. He was tall, skinny, and more of an opportunistic defender than a polished cornerback.

Witherspoon was the first cornerback selected in the draft, taken by the Seattle Seahawks with the fifth overall selection, and it’s worked out. He quickly broke into the starting lineup as a rookie and has been a Pro Bowl player ever since.

On the other hand, Forbes has been a bust. The Washington Commanders selected him with the 16th selection, one pick before Gonzalez, yet he was cut before the second season. The Los Angeles Rams claimed Forbes off the waiver, but he’s had minimal impact since.

Here was my scouting report on Forbes just before the draft:

Positives: Talented athlete who flashes ball skills. Smooth and fluid moving in reverse, quick flipping his hips in transition and tracks the pass in the air. Gets vertical to defend throws and displays good hands for the interception. Fires to the ball out of his plant, has an explosive closing burst, and gives effort against the run.

Negatives: Slow reacting to receivers’ moves off the line, which puts him a half-step behind opponents. Must be more consistent with his footwork in reverse. Has lapses. Possesses a thin build and struggles to get off blocks. More of a drag-down tackler who struggles bringing opponents down in the open field.

Analysis: Forbes is a solid cornerback, yet he is overrated in many areas. His thin frame is a concern, and I struggle to see how Forbes will be anything better than a nickel back on Sundays.

Gonzalez, like Witherspoon, broke into the starting lineup early in his rookie season and has stayed there since. Here was my scouting report on Gonzalez just before the draft:

Positives: Three-year starter who began his college career at Colorado. Tremendous cornerback prospect who watched his game improve every year in college. Smooth and fluid, incredibly instinctive and does not have lapses on the field. Engages receivers at the line of scrimmage and slows their release from the snap. Quick-footed in reverse, quick flipping his hips in transition and easily runs downfield with opponents. Mixes it up with opponents throughout the route, runs step for step with wideouts and has an explosive burst to the ball. Tracks the pass in the air, gets vertical and contorts to knock away passes. Does an outstanding job reading the receiver’s eyes and getting his head back around to track the pass in the air, then correctly positions himself to defend throws. Instinctive and does a tremendous job diagnosing plays. Battles opponents and does not back down from a challenge or get beat deep.

Negatives: Shows hesitation when he’s backed off the line of scrimmage. Does not always stay on the receiver’s hip out of breaks. Possesses a thin build and will struggle in battles. 

Analysis: Gonzalez was a shutdown corner who was rarely challenged by opponents and is a developing prospect with a large upside. After a terrific junior campaign, Gonzalez knocked it out of the park during combine workouts and moves towards the draft as the No. 1 player at his position. He offers star potential on Sundays, though I like him best in man or bump-and-run coverage rather than a scheme that has him facing the action.

Kraft recently announced Gonzalez has been offered a contract extension that will not only make him the highest-paid cornerback in the league, but the highest-paid player in Patriots history.

People can nitpick as to whether the Seattle Seahawks should’ve drafted Gonzalez with the fifth pick, but it would be a losing argument, as Witherspoon has been a terrific player for the Super Bowl champions.

There’s no debating Gonzalez was a steal for the Patriots in the middle of Round 1, and that the Commanders made a disastrous choice by passing on him in favor of Forbes.