Bill Belichick was ‘glad’ Christian Gonzalez was available for the Patriots to draft at No. 17

The New England Patriots picked Christian Gonzalez at No. 17 and while the team does not head into the draft with one player in mind, head coach Bill Belichick was happy that the cornerback was still on the board. Gonzalez was one of the top cornerbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft and the Patriots believe he can bring a lot to their defense.

Belichick said when drafting, they look for the best players, rather than just need. He referenced his time with the New York Giants, when despite having one of the best linebackers of all time, if not the best, the team still opted to take another. 

“When we go into the draft, we don’t really target one guy,” Belichick said (via The 33rd Team). “Especially when you’re drafting at whatever point. Need isn’t as big of a criteria as good football players. I learned that at the Giants in [1984] when we took Carl Banks. We had [Lawrence] Taylor, obviously, and it was kind of like, ‘Why are we taking another outside linebacker?’ As it turned out, that was probably one of the better picks that we had at the Giants.”

The future Hall of Fame head coach continued, saying quality players will always benefit the team, no matter who else is already on the squad.

“I don’t think it’s about where you need a player. If you’ve got a good football player, nobody’s ever gonna regret that,” Belichick said. “I’m glad Gonzo was there. I think when you just go and look for one guy and then he’s not there, there’s other players in the draft that can help us as well. But he’s been great to work with, and I look forward to getting him ready to go for training camp.”

The plan for Gonzalez is not limited to one spot and the head coach wants the rookie to get experience in many areas to see where he can have the most impact. 

“We’ll work him at a number of positions, again, like we do almost all players at this point in time in the spring, and then narrow it down a little bit when we get to training camp,” Belichick said. “Ultimately, he’s most likely going to be a perimeter corner, but I think there are other situations where he could play inside or could play in a deeper part of the field, depending on what the call is or how things present themselves from a game-plan structure from time to time.”

Patriots second-year corner Jack Jones was arrested last week on gun charges, pleading not guilty during an arraignment. The situation with Jones is still unknown and if he is not present for the 2023 season, Gonzalez’s role could increase. 

The Patriots drafting has been criticized in recent history, but this season there is a lot of optimism around the players they took. Owner Robert Kraft, who was vocal on his issues with previous draft classes, believes this “was a great, great draft” for New England. He added, “I’m really optimistic about the team.”



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Recap

Patriots’ Bill Belichick Expresses Delight at Acquiring Christian Gonzalez in the No. 17 Draft Position

The New England Patriots drafted Christian Gonzalez, a top cornerback, with the 17th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Head coach Bill Belichick was pleased with the pick and emphasized the team’s focus on selecting the best players rather than filling specific needs. Belichick referenced a past experience with the New York Giants to support his approach. He plans to utilize Gonzalez in multiple positions to determine where he can make the most impact. The Patriots’ drafting has faced criticism in recent years, but owner Robert Kraft expressed optimism about this year’s draft class.

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