The Patriots have a rising defensive star — but the Pro Bowl and PFF both left him off the list?

Throughout his tenure as the Patriots’ head coach and general manager, Bill Belichick was not known for having the best eye for talent in the draft. Besides hitting the jackpot by picking Tom Brady in the sixth round of the 2001 draft, the former coach earned more criticism than praise for the players he chose, as most wound up being busts rather than stars.

So when he was able to trade down and still take the best cornerback of the 2023 class, Christian Gonzalez, with pick No. 17, it was immediately deemed one of the best selections of his career, especially since the cornerback has gone on to become a Second-Team All-Pro in just two seasons.

Despite his impressive performance thus far, which is even more noteworthy considering he missed all but three games of his rookie year, Gonzalez is not universally recognized for his talent. That was made apparent by not being voted into the Pro Bowl last year nor making First-Team All-Pro, with the most recent example being left off PFF’s top 25 players under 25 list for the upcoming season.

Because of that growing chip on his shoulder, it’s likely he will always chase the idea of proving the doubters wrong, and Gonzalez will have that opportunity again this year, well before the season even begins.

Christian Gonzalez can show off his skills this preseason against some of the best receivers in the NFL

With the schedule released last week, the Patriots also announced the teams they will face in the preseason for three games. They are set to face the Commanders, Giants, and Vikings, leading up to the start of the regular season, giving them a solid opportunity to see how they fare against two playoff-caliber teams.

That also means that guys like Gonzalez will match up with some of the best players in the league, with the cornerback likely lining up against receivers Justin Jefferson and Terry McLaurin. He has already proven he can shut down any receiver he is tasked with on game day, but this will be another chance to show what he can do after the latest disregard of his talent this offseason.

Although it’s just the preseason, and it’s almost certain we won’t see Gonzalez, Jefferson, or McLaurin play any meaningful snaps, we will still see how they practice against each other to gauge just how good the Patriots’ star cornerback really is.

It will inevitably continue to fuel him throughout his NFL career, as he continues to be overlooked at his position despite the caliber of talent he faces every week. That will be the case again this year with players like Ja’Marr Chase, Mike Evans, and D.K. Metcalf on the schedule.

Maybe this will be the year that Gonzalez will finally be recognized, even if it’s not often that a great player on the Patriots gets the credit they deserve.