The New England Patriots are out to improve significantly in 2025, even if they don’t possess many nationally recognized stars.
CBS Sports insider Pete Prisco released his top-100 NFL player rankings on Tuesday. Prisco included 10 Philadelphia Eagles but highlighted just one Patriots player following a four-win campaign.
Christian Gonzalez took the No. 62 spot in Prisco’s rankings. The 22-year-old places fifth among cornerbacks behind Patrick Surtain II (No. 9), Derek Stingley Jr. (No. 23), Sauce Gardner (No. 24) and Trent McDuffie (No. 46).
“In his second season with the Patriots, Gonzalez emerged as an elite cover player,” Prisco wrote. “He should only get better and his pairing with Carlton Davis will give the Pats a nice 1-2 corner combo.”
A torn labrum halted Gonzalez’s rookie season after just four games, but the No. 17 pick returned strong in 2024. Gonzalez earned a second-team All-Pro nod with 11 pass break-ups, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. He stymied opponents to a 55.7 completion percentage and 6.0 yards per target in pass coverage.
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Fans will be happy to see Gonzalez, who didn’t make the Pro Bowl, at least receive some national praise. Earlier this month, Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 13 cornerback after excluding Gonzalez from its top-25 players under 25.
However, none of Gonzalez’s teammates joined him on Prisco’s top 100. Last year, Christian Barmore (No. 70) was the only Patriots player ranked. Blood clots limited the defensive tackle to four games last season after he tallied 7.5 sacks in a breakout 2023.
Gonzalez can solidify his status as one of the league’s top corners with a successful third season, and perhaps some other Pats will catch Prisco’s attention for next year’s rankings.
