All eyes were on the quarterbacks, especially Drake Maye, during Tuesday's joint practice between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
But there was another very intriguing battle taking place on the field: Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez versus Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.
Expectations are super high for Gonzalez. He enters his second NFL season as the top cornerback on the depth chart. He played very well as a rookie in 2023, but his campaign was cut short after just four games due to injury.
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Brown is a top 10 wide receiver in the league. He's not only fast and highly skilled, he's also a very tough matchup physically because of his excellent strength. He's the total package as a wideout.
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Brown came away impressed from his matchup with Gonzalez on Tuesday.
"He's a great player," Brown said of Gonzalez when talking to reporters after practice. "I had picked him coming out two years ago as the best defensive back in the (2023) draft. He's a great player. He gave me good work today."
The Patriots need a strong season from Gonzalez if the defense is going to be a top 10 or top 15 unit and give the team a chance to win more games than it did a year ago.
Gonzalez will be tested early, too. Here's a list of talented wideouts the Patriots play in the first six weeks of the regular season:
- Week 1 vs. Bengals: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
- Week 2 vs. Seahawks: D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett
- Week 3 vs. Jets: Garrett Wilson
- Week 4 vs. 49ers: Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk
- Week 5 vs. Dolphins: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle
- Week 6 vs. Bills: Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins
Many of the best Patriots teams of the last 25 years had a shutdown cornerback on defense. Ty Law and Stephon Gilmore are two of the best examples. Gonzalez has a ways to go before reaching that level, but the optimism and hype surrounding his second season is justified based on his talent.