The call Keion White got from Bill Belichick on Friday night was the first contact he'd ever had with the Patriots.
That's right: New England's second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft said he didn't have a single pre-draft meeting, workout, visit or conversation with the Patriots. None.
So, White was naturally a bit surprised when the Patriots selected him with the 46th overall pick. But the versatile defensive end out of Georgia Tech already believes he'll fit in well in Foxboro.
"I didn't have any contact with the Patriots, so it was a surprise to me," White said in his introductory conference call. "I feel like our personalities mix well, though, so I feel like it's a really good fit."
Why?
"I'm a very big business person," White added. "I'm not too big on the glitz and glamor of football. I want to work, and I want to win, and I feel like that's what the Patriots offer. I feel like that's what we meet in the middle at."
White, whose understated reaction to the Patriots' pick quickly went viral, will add versatility and athleticism to New England's front seven. Scouting reports rave about his speed, quickness and explosiveness at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, and he has the ability to play multiple positions along the D-line. His role could be similar to that of Deatrich Wise, who saw by far the heaviest workload of his NFL career last season.
White's technique and pass-rush repertoire need refining, but perhaps that's understandable given the path he took to get here.
The 24-year-old began his college career as a tight end at Old Dominion, only moving to defense ahead of the 2019 season. The pandemic wiped out his team's 2020 campaign, and after he transferred to Georgia Tech, a freak ankle injury suffered during a pickup basketball game limited him to four games and four total tackles in 2021.
So, 2022 was just White's second full season as a defensive player -- and first in a Power Five conference. He excelled, starting all 12 games for the Yellow Jackets and tallying 7 1/2 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
Given his relative inexperience at the position, White believes he has potential that has yet to be mined.
"For sure," he said. "There's still so much stuff I have to learn, from technique-wise, from just the game-wise -- everything. The transition (from tight end) was for the best. It got me to this point now. But I'm still working, and I'm still improving, because I feel like we all are. No matter if you're an All-Pro or a rookie, we're all improving day by day. Because when you're not improving, you're getting worse."
Yeah, that sounds like a Patriot talking.
