Patriots’ Version Of Myles Garrett?! Budding Star Defender Showing Promise

Patriots defensive lineman Keion White exceeded even the highest expectations in New England’s season-opening win against the Cincinnati Bengals.

White played 80% of defensive snaps and recorded 2 1/2 sacks on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. He beat Cincinnati offensive tackle Trent Brown for a strip-sack on the first drive of the game and bullied guard Alex Cappa for a half sack later in the first half.

The 2023 second-round pick was so good that he received a “random” drug test from the NFL on Monday morning.

White was well-deserving of a ‘Stud’ recognition in NESN.com’s “Studs & Duds” following the Week 1 verdict. And NESN.com’s Keagan Stiefel took it a step further during the latest episode of the “Foxboro Rush” podcast.

“Every time somebody asks me about a player to watch for this year, I would yell from the mountaintops Keion White,” Stiefel told co-host George Balekji.

“I think he has a chance to be like Myles Garrett-level good,” Stiefel continued. “That’s a lot, especially for a second-year guy. But he can be a top-10 pass-rusher in the NFL. It’s not just rushing the passer, but his ability to play against the run, his ability to play all over the defensive line. He’s not up there yet, he might not ever get there, but I think he can get close — maybe not get close, but he can get in the conversation.”

You can listen to the latest episode of NESN’s “Foxboro Rush” podcast on YouTube and Spotify.