Raider Nation speaks: Christian Gonzalez over Tyree Wilson

The results from the first edition of our Las Vegas Raiders NFL Draft This or That series are in! Raider Nation has spoken and Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez has defeated Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson with 58 percent of the total vote!

Gonzalez would come to Las Vegas with a chance to become the team’s No. 1 cornerback right away and add an alpha dog to the secondary. His ball skills are top notch as he ranked tied for third among Pac 12 corners last season with nine forced incompletions and was second with four interceptions, per Pro Football Focus.

Below are a few comments from the community as well as some analysis about the Oregon product from a few well-respected draftniks, and don’t forget to vote on the second edition of This or That between Kentucky quarterback Will Levis and Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon (link below).

Community comments

• ToddScolari: Gonzalez! We don’t have a 40 time on Wilson and the last DE we took despite not having a 40 time didn’t work out so well. I agree with many here though, would rather trade down.
• Raiders0075: I’d prefer to trade down in that scenario but I took Gonzales over Wilson. Tyree Wilson seems destined as a DT more than DE imo and we can take DT Gervon Dexter in 3rd round with similar traits but 303lbs. Wilson is a tweener right now , a little slow for DE and a little light for DT and lacks moves for both besides power. He worries me as he’s a projection prospect and a tweener.
• frm_da_eastside: Deep CB class. I’d take Tyree in the first. Double up at CB at 2nd and with one of the 3rds. QB? Raiders can get a project QB in 4th

Draftniks

• Diante Lee, The Athletic: Gonzalez’s tape is an affirmation of his athletic profile. In press coverage, Gonzalez, who lined up both outside and in the slot, is patient with his feet and recovers well when he loses leverage. His hips are fluid and help him to play the ball outside of a typical cornerback’s catch radius — his 2022 interceptions against Colorado and Oregon State served as evidence of that. Gonzalez is also a willing tackler (100 solo stops in his career), making him a complete prospect and an easy projection for NFL evaluators.
• Lance Zierlein, NFL Media: Explosive outside cornerback possessing a rare blend of physical and athletic traits. Gonzalez plays with fluid hips and blazing top-end speed, which should help him match against top-end targets in the future. He can rough up the release or use mirror-and-match footwork from press-man coverage and he has all the tools to become a highly capable route shadow. His technique will get away from him at times and he doesn’t play with the level of instincts or ball skills that should make heavy ball production automatic. His testing numbers could send his draft stock skyrocketing, but the ingredients are already present to become a feared CB1 if he plays to his gifts.

• Cory Giddings, Bleacher Report: Gonzalez has shown the versatility to play both press man and off man coverages, excelling in press and showing the lateral movement skills to mirror at the line of scrimmage. He does a good job of using his hands to reroute receivers and quickly gets in phase. When carrying receivers downfield, he has shown the speed to match his threats, while also getting his head around to locate and play the ball. There are times where he can be too handsy and unnecessarily tug on the receiver’s jersey.
• Brentley Weissman, The Draft Network: Gonzalez is a long and lean corner with outstanding overall athleticism. He offers excellent size with the height and length to match up against opposing teams’ No. 1 receivers on the boundary. Gonzalez is a cover corner who flashes the ability to lock down his side of the field. Gonzalez is an outstanding man defender who shows the foot quickness, change of direction, and flexibility to match route combinations and stay connected at the top of the routes. He has the ability to flip his hips and carry vertically with excellent long speed. He is excellent in press coverage utilizing a well-timed punch at the line to disrupt the receiver and shows patient feet to consistently stay in front and in phase throughout the stem.