Toucher & Rich welcomed Albert Breer from theMMQB.com to provide his analysis on the opening round of this year’s NFL Draft.

Breer shared his thoughts and insights for the Patriots selecting drafting Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was considered one of the top talents in this year’s draft.

The New England Patriots moved down in the first round of the NFL Draft but still managed to improve their secondary by selecting Gonzalez. The cornerback was ranked as the top matchup corner by many evaluators after a strong season and standout performance at the Scouting Combine. Despite being the second cornerback selected, he expressed surprise that he lasted until the 17th pick.

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  The Oregon Ducks take on then UCLA Bruins at 7:30 pm in Eugene, Oregon on Nov 19, 2022. (Jackson Fisk / Eric Evans Photography)

• “The fact that you get a guy who is sort of seen as a blue chip player by other teams that deep into the draft at a premium position, I think makes this a home run” Said Breer.

  In 12 games for the Ducks last season, Gonzalez recorded 35 solo tackles, four interceptions, and seven passes defensed, showcasing his exceptional speed, coverage skills, and impressive size of 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds.

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  The Oregon Ducks take on the Stanford Cardinal at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on October 1, 2022 (Eric Evans Photography)

• The Patriots’ decision to select him has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from draft experts, who unanimously agree that this was a great choice and a home run for the team. It’s rare to see such a consensus among analysts regarding a team’s first-round pick.

  “This feels like what often happens with the Baltimore Ravens.” said Breer, ”Where the Ravens are sitting there in the twenties and it’s like, ‘oh, my God, he’s sitting there for him.’ Like Kyle Hamilton last year from Notre Dame. A lot of people thought he was going to go a lot higher than he did. He’s sitting there. This felt like that sort of pick.”

• LISTEN HERE:

• Nick Gemelli is a Producer for the Toucher and Rich program and contributor for 985thesportshub.com. you can follow Nick at @NickGemelli on Twitter.

  Follow @Toucherandrich on Twitter, @Toucherandrichofficial and @fredtoucher on Instagram to keep up with the show!

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