Evaluation
Ryland B.: Fluidity is one of the most important traits for a corner to have, and Gonzalez has that in spades. He’s a ridiculously smooth athlete with elite mirroring ability and solid ball skills to boot. He was my favorite round one option for Pittsburgh this draft until his stock went through the roof. And it’s easy to see why. Gonzalez has good size for the position and great athleticism and quickness. His hip switch is one of the best in this class, and he’s as aware and comfortable in zone coverage as he is sticky in man. I think it’s fair to say Gonzalez is the best cover corner in this class. This is a glowing review, I’ll admit, but Gonzalez still isn’t a perfect prospect. He’s a bit on the leaner side and it’d be nice to see some more physicality and aggressiveness in his coverage and run support. Gonzalez’s interception production hasn’t exactly been stellar for much of his college career, either. But these are small nitpicks; if Gonzalez is somehow available at pick 17, he’d be an instant star CB1 in Pittsburgh’s secondary.