Early on in training camp, Keion White appeared to be well on his way to becoming a true difference maker for the New England Patriots defense. Moving to the edge full time after being more of a hybrid his first two seasons as a pro, the third-year man regularly flashed his disruptive potential.
And then, nothing. Toward the end of camp, White lost his starting job to free agency acquisition K’Lavon Chaisson, and in two games so far this season — separated by an illness — has been on the field for
just 42 combined snaps. He registered zero quarterback disruptions along the way.
And yet, his position coach remains a believer in the 26-year-old and what he can bring to the table now that he is seemingly fully recovered.
“I’m glad that he’s back because he’s going to be a big part of what we do,” outside linebackers coach Mike Smith told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Thursday.
“We’re not having a lot of depth there right now and with him being out a couple weeks, it’s tough because we want to keep these guys fresh and keep them rolling. I see Keion as a starter, even though he’s not starting out there with K.C. or Harold [Landry]. Last week was just trying to get him in, get his legs back in there. And then once things start slowing down even more, he’s definitely got a special gift rushing inside as well.”
White joined New England as a second-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, and began his career as a versatile inside-out player in the mold of longtime Patriot Deatrich Wise Jr. He developed nicely between his rookie and sophomore campaigns, but the arrival of Smith and the rest of the team’s new-look coaching staff changed his trajectory.
Three weeks into his third regular season, White has yet to take snaps away from the aforementioned K’Lavon Chaisson and Harold Landry. Until further notice, he remains the third option in the outside linebacker rotation.
For Smith, however, it all comes down to patience and adaptation.
“With Keion, it’s continue learning that position and when you miss a couple weeks like that, it’s tough,” he said. “But like I said from the beginning with Keion: when it clicks and it gets rolling, he’s going to be something special. Just glad that he’s in one room and he’s learning that position.
“I think it’s easy to talk about, but when you get out there and you see the different things that you get on an edge from the influence blocks and to the different looks and now these receivers are digging you out and then you got the zone read stuff — it’s a little bit different from being inside and getting out there and kind of seeing all this different stuff. It’s starting to slow down for him.”
