New England Patriots - NESN.com
New England Patriots star cornerback Christian Gonzalez was ranked 84th on the “NFL Top 100 Players of 2025” list in July.
The 23-year-old received an even better ranking on Monday on ESPN’s top 100 players list.
Gonzalez made his debut on ESPN’s annual rankings of the best players, placing 63rd.
“The 6-1, 205-pound Gonzalez has financial motivation to build on his second-team All-Pro season. He is eligible for a lucrative contract extension for the first time in 2026, and after seeing Sauce Gardner cash in this year in a similar situation (four years, $120.4 million), Gonzalez was the team’s best player in the spring,” Patriots reporter Mike Reiss wrote.
The third-year pro is the only Patriots player to make ESPN’s countdown. Gonzalez is also the lone New England representative on NFL.com’s ongoing rankings (they’ve yet to reveal the top 17 players) and the only Patriots player to crack CBS Sports’ rankings as well (he was placed 62nd).
ESPN’s list predicts that Gonzalez will build off his 2024 campaign when he was a second team All-Pro. His 2025 statistics projections include a career-high 68 tackles and 12 passes defended, as well as matching his two interceptions from last season.
Gonzalez — who’s currently nursing a hamstring injury — finished the 2024 season with 59 tackles, 11 passes defended and two interceptions across 16 games.
