This Patriots Player Stands To Gain Most From Matthew Judon Trade

After the contract saga that played out throughout training camp, the New England Patriots decided to be done with Matthew Judon.

The Patriots reportedly parted ways with the star edge rusher Wednesday night when they traded him to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick.

With Judon no longer in the picture, it opens a massive opportunity in New England's front seven for a Patriots edge rusher to step up and become a defensive game-wrecker. The Patriots have a few candidates who could emerge with Judon gone, but none of them seem as ready to take over that role as Keion White.

White, who the Patriots selected in the second round out of Georgia Tech in last year's draft, appears poised for a breakout season after flashing during his rookie campaign. He played in 16 games a season ago -- he started in four of them -- and compiled 26 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, five quarterback hits and three passes defended.

Those certainly aren't gaudy numbers from White. But he has the physical tools with a blend of power and speed coming from his muscular 6-foot-5, 290-pound frame to become a defensive disruptor. And with more playing time, White's statistics could balloon in 2024.

The 25-year-old played 49% of New England's defensive snaps as a rookie. Unlike Judon, White forecasts more as a three-down player and he could be on the field a ton this year, especially with the Patriots fielding a youthful squad during a rebuild season.

"His versatility -- he's always been a strong guy but I would say he's even stronger now," Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters in May. "He's here each and every day, and in the meeting rooms he's talking and leading those conversations. We always talk about that Year 2 jump, so that's a big part of it."

It's not fair to think White in a blink will morph into the type of player Judon was with the Patriots. Judon, a four-time Pro Bowler, accumulated 32 sacks in 38 careers games with New England.

But White does have the ability, and probably more opportunities now with Judon traded, to become an impactful player and a cornerstone piece of the Patriots defense moving forward.

By all accounts, White has been one of the team's defensive standouts during training camp. Perhaps, that reassured the Patriots they could move on from Judon and hand some of his responsibilities off to White.

It will now be on White to make the most of them.