The New England Patriots had the fewest sacks in the league last season and made massive improvements to their defensive line this offseason.
The team signed defensive tackle Milton Williams to a four-year, $104 million contract, EDGE Harold Landry to a three-year, $43.5 million deal and drafted Brady Swinson out of LSU to improve their sack numbers.
Yet, the Patriots could see the most action out of EDGE rusher Keion White.
The Athletic had its NFL staff writers predict a breakout candidate for every team in the league, with Patriots writer Chad Graff predicting the third-year player.
“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 for The Athletic. “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 recorded five sacks and 56 total tackles in his second season in the NFL. He received a 76.7 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus last season, ranking him 20th out of 211 qualifying EDGE rushers.
Keion White On New Coaching Staff
Keion White has said he is a fan of new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s coaching style, having said that he trained himself and now feels like he has a coach.
“I like Mike. He leads with work. I can respect that. It’s similar to Bill, just with a younger face. I think we all know how I feel about that; I liked him,” White said, via NESN.
“So, it’s comforting to know that you have a hard-ass at the helm who will not be afraid to fistfight with you in a back alley.”
Vrabel joined the Green Light with Chris Long podcast, praising White and talked about developing his game.
“Excited about Keion White and his ability to continue to work on his technique,” Vrabel said of his new EDGE. “He’s such a talented athlete with size, that if we continue to refine some of this technique, that is really gonna help him.”
With the hire of Vrabel, White will play in a third new system in three years as a professional.
Keion White on Next Season
Keion White saw a jump from his first season in the league to his second, recording just a single sack and 26 combined tackles in his rookie year to five sacks and 56 combined tackles in his second year.
The EDGE rusher told reporters that he would use the time off to improve himself and get better for training camp in year three.
“Training. So, this is the part of the year where I really take my time, get my diet right, eat better, train harder, work on my technique and things like that,” White said. “That way I can get into the best shape possible heading into camp.”
With a new coaching staff and Landry now there to guide the third-year defender, White could achieve the best season of his career.
