Keion White’s viral reaction to being drafted by the Patriots might’ve been much ado about nothing, but some scouts apparently believe otherwise.
That’s not to say that White, whose seemingly emotionless reaction confused fans watching on TV, was upset about going to New England as the 46th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Plus, a separate video of a teary-eyed White made it clear he didn’t have a problem with the Patriots.
But as the athletic edge rusher explained in a conference call, he’s not one for jumping up and down with excitement.
“I don’t know if y’all seen on TV, but I’m a pretty chill person,” White said. “So, I’m not very explosive in excitement in any form. So, I’ve just kinda been taking it in.”
As it turns out, that’s one of the problems some teams had with White, who expected to be a first-round pick but wound up slipping into the second round. (White insisted he wasn’t upset about the draft slide during the conference call.)
“White’s stone-faced reaction to being selected in the second round by the Patriots probably wasn’t a surprise to NFL teams that interviewed him leading into the draft,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote Sunday morning. “The 24-year-old White described himself as an all-business type of guy, ultraserious, and scouts from multiple teams relayed that came through in attempts to better connect with him in the interview process. That’s one reason those scouts believe White, who was invited by the NFL to attend the draft in Kansas City, Missouri, because he was projected as a first-round pick, slipped into the second round.”
The Patriots clearly didn’t have a big issue with White’s demeanor. Their no-nonsense head coach is kind of serious and business-like, after all. In fact, according to Reiss, New England considered trading back into Round 1 to select the Georgia Tech product.
“They were high on White and considered moving back into the first round to select the defensive end before ultimately deciding the price would be too rich,” Reiss wrote. “White was also among a small group of players under consideration after the trade back from No. 14.”
Where White will fit into New England’s 2023 roster remains to be seen. He might have a hard time earning playing time over the likes of Deatrich Wise and even Daniel Ekuale, but the Patriots drafted him for a reason.
In 12 games last season, White racked up 54 tackles, including 14 for a loss, and 7.5 sacks.
