The Patriots seemingly got good value when they selected Keion White with the 46th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Georgia Tech defensive end wasn’t considered an elite prospect, but some projected him to go in the back half of the first round.
New England reportedly was one of those teams, and even considered trading back into Round 1 — after using the 17th overall pick on cornerback Christian Gonzalez — to select White. So, Bill Belichick and company clearly are high on the 24-year-old.
After reviewing much of White’s senior-season film, it’s easy to understand why. However, White’s film also highlighted why some experts aren’t sold on his ability to be an impact defensive lineman in the NFL, particularly in Year 1.
Let’s get into some of White’s strengths and weaknesses:
STRENGTHS
Physicality
White’s ultra-seriousness demeanor and work ethic (he reportedly was a Domino’s delivery driver during college) off the field both show up on the field. You already might’ve seen comparisons to Deatrich Wise, and those are fair — to a point.
White, who began his collegiate career as a tight end, switched to defensive end in 2019 (more on that later). Similar to Wise, he pairs his unique combination of size and speed with hard-nosed physicality to generate effective bull-rushes from the edge. Still unrefined as a pass-rusher, White makes up for it with strength and tenacity regardless of whether he’s lined up as a 3-technique or 5-technique.
Keep an eye on No. 6 in these clips:
If White is going to earn playing time with the Patriots, especially while Wise still is around, he must show similar relentlessness and determination against NFL offensive linemen. At this point in his development, he’s not refined enough in other areas of his game to get by on pure ability.
Athleticism
Listed at 6-foot-5, 287 pounds with 34-inch arms, White has the size and length that you want from an NFL defensive end, even if he’s not yet thick enough in his lower half. But White also possesses the kind of speed and quickness (4.76-second 40-yard dash time) that enable him to play sideline-to-sideline. He’s more than capable of keeping up with running backs in open space.
When he really puts everything together, White is difficult to contain even against first-round offensive tackles.
Is White the kind of jaw-dropping athlete that could turn into a star on the edge? Probably not. But he has above-average athletic traits for a D-end and can add needed explosiveness to the Patriots defense.
Run defense
White still has work to do in the run game, and there are more than enough examples of him struggling to set a strong edge. That won’t cut it in New England, where Anfernee Jennings receives decent playing time primarily for his solid edge play.
But make no mistake: He can hold his own. White, who racked up a combined 33 tackles for loss in 2019 and 2022, does a good job of holding up at the point of attack and shedding blockers. Again, his physicality and motor really stand out.
Our biggest issue with New England using a high pick on White is a concern over whether he’ll see the field much as a rookie. If White can’t be trusted in run-defense situations, Belichick will defer to Wise, who also broke out as a pass-rushing force in 2022. Given the Patriots’ many roster needs, you could argue they should’ve used the 46th overall pick on someone who can contribute immediately.
However, after watching White’s college tape, it’s not difficult to envision him carving out a three-down role this season, especially if he gets stronger from the waist down. We’re less concerned with his run defense now than we were the night he was drafted.
WEAKNESSES
“Tweener” size
White displayed great versatility in college, providing great production all over the line. But will he be able to do the same thing in the pros?
He’s a tough prospect to evaluate. On one hand, White probably is too lean to kick inside and beat interior offensive linemen. On the other hand, he’s too big to be a stand-up edge rusher. He’s… Deatrich Wise, just a little shorter. A true defensive end in a 3-4 scheme.
For as much evidence as there is of White shedding multiple blockers, there are just as many clips of him getting bullied by double teams.
White also occasionally struggles against larger offensive tackles who don’t get overwhelmed by his size and speed. Since he’s not yet a savvy pass rusher, White largely relies on his length, athleticism and determination to get to the quarterback. That’ll work against some NFL tackles, but others will snuff it out.
With all that said, White’s work ethic and room for development suggest he eventually will be fine. But how long will it take?
Pass-rush repertoire
We touched on this before, but it’s worth addressing in a separate section.
White was a very good pass rusher at Georgia Tech. In 2022, he racked up 41 pressures and seven sacks, per Pro Football Focus. He also ranked 11th among edge rushers in this draft class with a 20.1% pass-rush win rate.
But a closer look revealed that White lacks nuance in his pass-rush repertoire. He basically fires off the line, bull-rushes the tackle with a two-hand shove and works toward the quarterback. There’s not much polish, and it’s fair to worry about whether he’ll succeed against linemen who know what’s coming.
Still, as his senior year progressed, White started to showcase more tricks, like this nice hesitation move against Georgia in the season finale:
The hope is that White will diversify his arsenal. Just ask Josh Uche what can happen when you bring a slew of creative pass-rush moves to the table.
Inexperience
Despite being an older prospect at 24 years old, White doesn’t have a ton of experience on defense.
He redshirted as a tight end at Old Dominion in 2017 before playing eight games as a tight end in 2018. After making the switch to defense — and excelling — in 2019, White missed all of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, after transferring to Georgia Tech, appeared in just four games the following season due to an ankle injury. White appeared in all 12 games in 2022, leaving him with just 28 collegiate games as a defender.
The lack of experience shows up in his film, as White’s game is raw in multiple areas. He’s got a lot of work to do before he can be a three-down player in New England.
But the talent is obvious, and Patriots coaches surely will be patient with the second-round pick. Considering how much improvement White showed during his two full seasons on defense, there’s reason to believe he’ll make even more progress at the next level.
