Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez says he is healthy entering season two of NBC Sports Boston

FOXBORO – The Patriots should have their No. 1 cornerback back on the field in short order.

Christian Gonzalez’s impressive rookie season was cut short due to a shoulder injury, but he told reporters Tuesday that he is now “healthy.”

“That’s in the past,” he said. “I’m ready now.”

The Patriots will need him. Under new head coach Jerod Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington – two disciples of Bill Belichick – the bones of the team’s defensive structure shouldn’t be all that different than in years past. That means a lot of man-to-man coverage in the secondary, relying on the coverage skills of Gonzalez and others to thwart opponents’ weekly passing games.

Gonzalez was Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 cornerback for four weeks last season before suffering an injury in a loss to the Cowboys. He picked off a pass against the Dolphins and had a 58.5 quarterback rating when targeted — seventh among qualifiers in that span.

Not bad for a rookie who had the difficult task of following wideouts like AJ Brown, Tyreek Hill, Garrett Wilson and CeeDee Lamb as he got his feet wet in pro football.

Gonzalez said he enjoys the opportunity to continue getting these types of assignments in his second season. He will do whatever is asked of him, but he went on to say: “Obviously I want that match. I think every corner wants that match.”

Gonzalez indicated he is still rehabbing his shoulder injury as he prepares for Year 2. He would not immediately answer when asked if he was prepared to participate fully in spring training. He also does not want to reveal whether or not he is 100 percent healthy.

But it sounds like he’s healthy enough to give the Patriots a sense of optimism that their first-round pick from a year ago — who turns 22 next month — will be back on the field when the numbers matter.