Eagles versus New England: 10 Patriots to watch during the Week 1 season opener

Christian Gonzalez, cornerback

Early in the most recent draft process, there were quite a few mocks that sent Christian Gonzalez to the Philadelphia Eagles as a top-ten draft choice. We should have known better. As a matter of fact, we did know better. In the end, Philly added a defensive lineman, albeit a great one, while Gonzalez landed with the Patriots.

A First-Team All-Pac-12 nod in 2022, he notched 50 tackles, four interceptions, and seven pass breakups during his final season at the NCAA level. We'll see if that translates. His first order of business as a professional will include covering A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, or both.

Deatrich Wise Jr., defensive end

The Eagles have a pretty good right tackle. Perhaps you have heard of him? His name is Lane Johnson. We tend to discuss him a lot, and that's for good reason.

One of the reasons we do so is because it has been a long time since he has given up a sack. If his streak of excellence is to continue, he'll have to keep guys like Deatrich Wise off of Jalen Hurts and out of his face. Last season, Wise produced a very respectable 59 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three batted passes.