Patriots rookie roundup: Christian Gonzalez shines in NFL debut

FOXBORO -- The Patriots aren't going to take any moral victories out of Sunday's Week 1 loss to the Eagles, so we'll do it for them. Based on how New England's top rookies played in their debuts, the future looks bright for the Patriots.

First-round pick Christian Gonzalez, second-round selection Keion White, and third-round pick Marte Mapu all played roles for the New England defense during Sunday's 25-20 loss to Philadelphia. On the other side of the ball, offensive linemen Atonio Mafi and Sidy Sow played 100 percent of the offensive snaps at their respective guard positions, and rookie receiver Demario Douglas did a lot to make fans get excited about his future as an NFL pass-catcher.

But it was the play of that defensive trio that really caught the attention of Patriots veterans.

"We knew when we drafted them, when we got them in here and actually put pads on that they were really good players," said Matthew Judon. "I think for Gonzo to go out there and play the way he played, for Keion to get in and play how physical he played, Marte was in the game, him making plays just kind of all over the field.

"I don't really know Marte's background too much; I watched highlights and stuff, things like that. But, for him to be able to play linebacker, safety and outside linebacker, that's kind of unbelievable," continued Judon. "As a rookie, those three guys had a lot of big plays. They handled it exceptionally. They went out there and played their butts off."

With 11 rookies making the roster, there is a lot of youth on the Patriots this season. Here's a look at how those first-year players fared in their first NFL game on Sunday.

Christian Gonzalez: The 17th overall pick had a lot on his plate as the team's No.1 corner, with dangerous receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith lining up across him. 

He finished with seven tackles, including a nice open-field takedown of Brown on a third down to force an Eagles field goal. He also broke up a fourth-down pass with two minutes left to get the ball back to the New England offense. 

Add in his sack of Jalen Hurts on a corner blitz, and it was a pretty solid debut for Gonzo.

It's not going to get any easier for the rookie, with Miami's Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on deck. That duo nearly had 300 receiving yards and two touchdowns (both by Hill) in a thrilling Miami win over the L.A. Chargers. But Gonzalez showed Sunday that he's a legit top corner, and should garner a lot of Rookie of the Year attention throughout the season.

Keion White: The second-round defensive end played 35 percent of New England's defensive snaps and made the most of them. He was credited with just one pass defended in the box score, but White applied pressure on Hurts when he was on the field and helped others in the New England pass rush apply some heat to the Eagles quarterback.

The big fella caused a lot of havoc with four QB pressures and was a big part of why the defense played so well in Week 1.

Marte Mapu: He only played nine snaps on defense but his versatility was on full display. Mapu played safety in nickel packages with Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers, and recorded a pair of open-field tackles. 

A bigger role is ahead for the third-round pick.

Chad Ryland: The kicker connected on his two extra points but didn't attempt a field goal in his debut. Bill Belichick could have sent him out there for one when the Pats faced a fourth-and-3 at the Philly 17 early in the fourth quarter, but opted to go for it instead. 

Sidy Sow and Atonio Mafi: We'll pair them together because both rookies started along the offensive line; Sow at right guard and Mafi at left guard. With Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu inactive, that was really the only option for the Patriots.

And both played every offensive snap for New England. They had their share of struggles, especially Sow, who gave up the pressure on the fourth-and-3 play that Jones has to essentially throw away. But that was to be expected from a pair of rookies thrust into action in Week 1. 

Overall, the offensive line did well against a difficult Philadelphia pass rush. But Sow and Mafi have a long way to go.

Fellow rookie offensive lineman Jake Andrews did not play on Sunday.

Bryce Baringer: He punted five times and averaged 45.2 yards per boot. Baringer put three of his punts inside the 20, including one that was fair caught at the Philly 8-yard line. 

Demario Douglas: Sunday may have been the start of a beautiful relationship between Mac Jones and Douglas. The rookie out of Liberty was targeted early and often, coming down with four receptions for 40 yards on seven targets.

Douglas got consistent separation against a tough Philadelphia defense, and his production should only increase as the season rolls on.

Kayshone Boutte: The ball skills are definitely there with the receiver, so hopefully he doesn't get discouraged after not getting both feet in bounds on New England's final fourth-down play of the game.

But he really needs to learn how tap his toes in bounds. Jones threw Boutte's way four times and none of them ended with a reception. 

The Patriots clearly trust him though; Boutte (and Douglas) played every snap on the team's final drive.