Patriots Rookie Finally Emerging As Consistent Force On D-Line

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — It took a while, but Keion White is starting to constantly deliver on the immense promise he showed last summer.

The rookie defensive lineman, whom the Patriots selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, was one of the breakout stars of training camp. As the summer progressed, White became increasingly impactful and unblockable, especially during joining New England’s practices with the Green Bay Packers. His intense, ultra-serious attitude off the field translated into an intimidating force on the field.

However, like many rookies in a Bill Belichick-coached defense, White didn’t have much of a role early in the season. His playing time fluctuated even after Matthew Judon went down with a season-ending injury.

Along the way, White looked like a player still figuring out how to make a difference in NFL games. His edge work against the run was inconsistent, and his clear pass-rushing talent resulted in zero sacks and zero quarterback hits over the first 10 weeks.

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But a switch clearly has flipped.

White still has just one sack on the season, but he also registered a QB hit in five of his last six games. That includes Sunday’s road loss to the Buffalo Bills, in which White registered three tackles and a handful of pressures in what might’ve been the best game of his career. White also played 61% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps, his third-highest usage rate of the season.

“Gets better every week,” Belichick said of White during a postgame news conference.

Defensive captain Deatrich Wise, who calls White and fellow rookie Christian Gonzalez the “quiet assassins,” offered a bit more on a player who’s much more than a freakish combination of size and athleticism.

“Keion’s always been the type of guy that wants to do better,” Wise said. “Week in and week out he’s showing up. He’s doing great things on the field and off the field. He’s very smart. He’s been doing a great job with the opportunities he has. And every time he’s out there, he’s making a play.”

In a postgame conversation with MassLive’s Chris Mason, White opened up on how the trials and tribulations of a rookie season have made him a better player.

“The experience,” White told Mason. “Just getting the reps, and in a way, (expletive)-ing it up. So by me failing, I can succeed in the future. I just take all those failures as a blessing. … The name of the game is improvement. So just trying to learn from the mistakes and improve week to week and not make the same mistake twice.”

White admitted the transition from college to the NFL hasn’t always been easy, but that he’s come a long way over the last few months.

“Situational awareness,” he said. “I’m a completely different person. Obviously technique-wise there’s a lot of things I can still clean up. You can take that into the offseason and get better, but as far as situational awareness and learning how the league operates, a lot better.”

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Obviously, the Patriots have many things to figure out during the offseason — and big changes need to be made. From offensive assistants to offensive personnel to, yes, the head coach, New England needs a heavy makeover.

But the defense is a source of optimism both in the present and in the future. Yes, some key players will hit free agency in March, but with young players such as White and Christian Barmore becoming consistent contributors, there shouldn’t be much of a dropoff.

White is far from a finished product, and he’ll be the first to tell you he has a long way to go. But he’s also someone worth getting excited about as the Patriots gear up for an offseason of uncertainty.