Keion White Went From Decent to Dominant in Second Season

The New England Patriots are off to a 1-2 start and coming off a blowout loss to the New York Jets in Week 3. But there have been some positives early in the 2024 season. Their upset road win over Cincinnati to open the season is an obvious highlight. A few individual performances have been noteworthy in a good way. Foremost among these is second-year defensive end Keion White.

New England drafted White in the second round (No. 46 overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft. He played 16 games as a rookie and was solid. but unspectacular. He showed he belonged in the league but didn’t offer many signs of belonging in a Pro Bowl. White received a 64.2 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2023. That ranked fourth among rookie edge defenders who played 500 snaps, but only four rookie edge defenders played 500 snaps.

For some, White’s most memorable moment of his first season was the lack of enthusiasm he displayed after being drafted.

Keion White's reaction to getting drafted by the Patriots🤣🤣

pic.twitter.com/xeJFoRhstR

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 29, 2023

Keion White finished 2023 with 26 tackles (14 solo), including three tackles for a loss. He recorded 20 quarterback pressures, which mostly consisted of hurries (15). White notched one sack and four quarterback hits. Decent numbers for a rookie but little to indicate becoming a core player for the Patriots defense.

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Second Year Leap

New England looked for White to make a leap in production in his second NFL season. Through three weeks, he has done just that. Entering Week 4, Pro Football Focus ranks Keion White as the fourth-best pass rusher in the NFL. The only players ahead of him are perennial Pro Bowl selections Myles Garrett (Browns), Aidan Hutchinson (Lions), and T.J. Watt (Steelers).

Hard to think of anyone that's taken a bigger 2nd year jump than Keion White pic.twitter.com/mHWxT3OBKf

— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) September 16, 2024

Lofty company for the Patriots’ defensive end. But instead of celebrating his strong start, White continues to focus on how he can get even better. Keion White analyzed his performance in Week 3 against the New York Jets.

“Missed tackles? I did that,” admitted White. “Let the quarterback out the pocket? I did that. Not playing my hands at times? Did that. Everything that you could do, I think I did. And so I think I just need to improve everything.”

In the game, White had four tackles and four quarterback hits. He was not credited for any missed tackles. His 79.9 grade from Pro Football Focus was excellent. But the mindset of focusing on how to improve is an indication of how much better he can continue to become.

Through three weeks in 2024, White has 17 tackles (10 solo). He tied his rookie total with three tackles for a loss. White has 4.0 sacks and 12 quarterback pressures.

Keion White went from decent to dominant in one season. He has quickly become a core player for the New England Patriots. And with White’s mindset to improve, the best is yet to come.