When the New England Patriots traded defensive lineman Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers in late October, a pair of 2026 draft picks was involved: a sixth-rounder going back to the Patriots, and a seventh-rounder
moving west alongside White.
That seventh-round choice was conditional, though, and has now transferred back to New England.
The selection was tied to White being active for seven games with his new team, a number he reached on Monday. Had he not done so before this season’s end, the seventh-rounder would have remained with the 49ers.
San Francisco making him part of their game day roster against the Indianapolis Colts sealed the deal. He played 34 defensive snaps in a 48-27 victory, bringing his total through seven games to 252 snaps for a playing time share of 59%. White has registered 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery since getting traded.
A second-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2023, White proved himself a disruptive player early in his career. Under the team’s new coaching staff led by Mike Vrabel, however, he was moved from his natural spot on the interior to the edge. The transition was a challenging one, resulting in the 26-year-old eventually losing his starting spot to K’Lavon Chaisson in training camp.
Playing only a third of snaps early in the regular season and registering no sacks, he was ultimately made available for trade and shipped to San Francisco for what now amounts to one sixth-round pick. As a consequence, the Patriots now hold 11 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.
