I read this and it feels like that they're describing a cornerback style that would've been much more effective in the last generation of football but that Gonzalez might play better in the current iteration of the NFL or at least with how the Patriots play their non-elite CBs. Like, we think of "attitude DBs", I get we're thinking of the supremely confident (even in spite of their abilities) players who will lay out and celebrate anything they do that's good, or who can psych out a WR at the line, and who might even be able to physically intimidate a WR. But with how particular PI, Roughness, and Personal Foul calls are, if anything there seems to be a lot more value in knowing when to be physical and when not to be physical especially as an outside corner. I struggle to think of a situation where a Belichick defense wants to leave JJ or Chase or Hill one on one with any DB - him being very good at press would ideally take away a lot of those route types that decimated the Patriots in some games over the past two years (the short posts, slants, crossing routes) while safety top over the help would be there.
I took a look at some of those Drake London highlights here
The first long pass play - London makes an absurd catch. Gonzalez may not be draped on him but he's sticking to London and the ball is thrown a hit short with London slowing his route and making a huge extension catch. I don't know if there's a DB in football one on one who stops that play.
1-yard TD - I don't know how much more Christian Gonzalez can do on this play. He had inside position on London who did an out towards the sideline. Gonzalez was draped on him - there was a MINISCULE window to get that pass in and the QB did it and London made a very impressive one handed catch. The ball skills note maybe comes into play but Gonzalez did what a lot of Belichick DBs do - play the WR and the movements. The announcer said that drive was all London so maybe there was more.
There was another pass on a different video where Gonzalez fell down - which I think could happen to any player, but was another severely underthrown pass that London adjusted back to (and then fell trying to run). Like, this wasn't a GOOD game, but Drake London is an S-Tier college wide out and only one of those three plays (the one where he fell down) was a bad play, the others were just good offensive plays. Drake went for 9-130 (not all on Gonzalez, one play was a busted play where London was trailed by someone else) and that was still his third worst game of the year (out of 8) in receptions and yards. He probably does need to work on the ball skills and some anticipatory elements but he was sticking to Drake London like glue on the bad clips I saw. If he can do that to London, a Top 10 WR pick last year, I see reason for excitement. If he can drape a Drake London, the number of NFL WRs that will torch him shouldn't be a high number.
We will see of course, I am not anywhere near a film watcher, but if the Drake London game is the biggest demerit, I'm not terribly worried.
