The San Francisco 49ers acquired Keion White in late October from the New England Patriots. The Niners sent a sixth-round pick to the Patriots, while San Francisco got a seventh-rounder along with White. That seventh-round pick was conditional, and those conditions have been met, meaning the pick is going back to the Pats.
White needed to be active for seven games with the 49ers, which happened on Monday against the Indianapolis Colts. It’s the seventh game in a row White has played since the trade.
If the 49ers hadn’t activated White for the final three games of the season, then the seventh-rounder would have remained with them.
White’s role has drastically changed on the West Coast. Before the trade, White was playing roughly a third of the snaps with New England. He’s played at least 55 percent of the time with San Francisco in every game but one.
Under a new regime with the Patriots, White went from playing his natural interior spot to a full-time edge rusher. He’s playing half of his snaps on the inside under Robert Saleh. White’s pressure rate as an interior rusher jumps from 5.9 percent to 11.3 percent compared to when he’s on the edge.
The 49ers have White under contract through 2026, where his base salary is only $1.8 million. You’ll take a rotational player on a rookie deal for what amounts to a sixth-round pick. White will be even more productive playing alongside Mykel Williams and Nick Bosa once they return from injury.
