New England Patriots - NESN.com
NFL writers at The Athletic revealed their potential breakout candidates from each team on Monday.
Patriots defensive end Keion White earned the nod for New England.
The 26-year-old is entering his third season, after he was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
He recorded 26 tackles, five quarterback hits and three passes defended as a rookie over 16 games (four starts) before upping his numbers across the board in 2024. White finished last season leading New England in quarterback hits (16), tied for first in sacks (5.0) and tied for second in forced fumbles (two), while posting seven tackles for loss and five passes defended as well.
He played in all 17 contests (13 starts) and increased his defensive snaps total from 521 in 2023 to 829 last year.
Still, senior NFL writer Chad Graff sees room for improvement for White.
“It looked like White’s breakout was coming a year ago after the 2023 second-round pick had four sacks in the first two games. But White’s performance dipped, and his playing time decreased,” Graff wrote. “He made some pointed comments late last season about change needing to come to New England, which seemed like a shot at last year’s coaching staff. Now with Mike Vrabel in charge, it’s time for White to look like the player he was early last season.”
White and the rest of the non-rookie teammates are scheduled to open training camp on July 22.
