Christian Gonzalez Taabbed as Potential Pro Bowler in 2024

NFL.com made some preseason predictions for the 2024 season. Among these was picking potential players from all 32 teams to be selected for their first Pro Bowl appearance this year. From the New England Patriots, they chose cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

The Patriots selected Gonzalez in the first round (No. 17 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. It felt like a steal based on my pre-draft ranking, which had Gonzalez ranked No. 7 overall. He started immediately for New England and was impressive early. He earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for September. In four games he amassed 17 tackles (14 solo), a sack, and an interception.

Christian Gonzalez suffered a torn labrum in the Patrior fourth game, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season. It was a limited sample size but an impressive one. Pro Football Focus gave Gonzalez an 80.8 defensive grade in 2023. He ranked thirteenth among all NFL cornerbacks to play at least 200 defensive snaps.

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Gonzalez begins 2024 healthy and slated to be the New England Patriots’ top cornerback once again. If he can pick up where he left off last season, a Pro Bowl nod is certainly not out of the question. He flashed that level of talent and production as a rookie.

Other Cornerback Candidates

Gonzalez making the Pro Bowl is not going to be easy, regardless of his play. All four AFC Pro Bowl corners from last season remain in the conference: Patrick Surtain II (Broncos), Sauce Gardner (Jets), Jalen Ramsey (Dolphins), and Denzel Ward (Browns). There are former Pro Bowl selections in the AFC as well, including Marlon Humphrey (Ravens) and Kenny Moore II (Colts). In addition, players like Trent McDuffie (Chiefs), Derek Stingley Jr. (Texans), and Rasul Douglas (Bills) are all players coming off excellent seasons with the potential to continue improving.

Other New England Patriots

Trying to pick a first-time Pro Bowl selection from the New England Patriots does not eliminate many options. On the current 90-man roster, only tight end Austin Hooper has previously been a Pro Bowl selection. That was in 2018 and 2019 as a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

Last season, there were four Patriots players with strong cases to be Pro Bowl selections. Christian Barmore, Jahlani Tavai, Julius Peppers, and Brenden Schooler all warranted consideration. Barmore’s health status could keep him sidelined for a good portion of the season, but it is not difficult to imagine any of these players making another strong case for themselves. The problem they faced last season was playing on a team that finished 4-13. If New England has similar struggles in 2024, they could be shut out of the Pro Bowl for a second straight season.

Other players to keep in mind for a breakout Pro Bowl season include Rhamondre Stevenson, Mike Onwenu, DeMario Douglas, Hunter Henry, Keion White, and Kyle Dugger. But perhaps the most likely candidate on the Patriots is second-year punter Bryce Baringer, who was solid as a rookie and looks even better in preseason. If the Patriots offense doesn’t improve, he should also get plenty of opportunities to showcase what he can do.

A cornerback on a struggling team, as the New England Patriots are projected to be, is going to have a hard time becoming a first-time Pro Bowl selection. Christian Gonzalez will not just need to be a lockdown corner in 2023 to receive such accolades, he’ll also need to put up statistics. He showed he could do that in a small sample size as a rookie. NFL.com is not betting against him doing so again this season. Neither should anyone else.