Why Keion White is key to Pats defense’s improvement in 2025 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots have several glaring roster needs to address this spring. While the wide receiver and offensive tackle positions have been the primary areas of concern, the issues on the other side of the ball shouldn’t be overlooked.
New England’s defense tallied the fewest sacks (28) in the NFL and was tied for the fourth-fewest interceptions (seven). Although the Pats should pursue upgrades on the edge and in the secondary, new head coach Mike Vrabel will look to bring the best out of the high-upside defenders already on the roster.
On the latest episode of Tom E. Curran’s Patriots Talk Podcast, Phil Perry joined to discuss what the Patriots should prioritize on defense. Young edge rusher Keion White, the team’s second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, was at the center of the conversation.
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“I think it’s about affecting the quarterback, as Vrabel put it during his press conference the other day,” Perry said. “That, to me, means pass rush. That means getting Christian Barmore back on the field if you can. It means getting the most out of Keion White. It means adding to that group and making sure that you have the talent up front to be able to occasionally win a one-on-one in an obvious passing situation so you don’t have to send the house.
“How many times we talk about Blitz Zero or Cover Zero and they felt like they had to bring everybody so that you had one more body than they could block? Because you didn’t have anybody that could win a one-on-one. It wasn’t enough to create one-on-one. Some defensive coordinators are great at creating one one-on-ones because they know if they do that, they’ll have a matchup somewhere that they can win. The Patriots couldn’t even get by doing that with the talent that they had. So they need to get more out of the guys they have, Keion White especially, and I think Vrabel will be adept at doing that. But they also need to add pieces to that group so that they just have the horses to win those battles.”
Curran wonders how White will mesh with a no-nonsense coach like Vrabel.
“I envision a very interesting relationship between Keion White and Mike Vrabel,” he said. “They’re either going to make beautiful music together, or it ain’t going to work at all. Because Keion White is a smart, outspoken, introspective — he’s on a different plane intellectually than most players. …
“So hopefully those two can find common ground and the skills and power and speed of Keion White can be tapped and the Patriots can live happily ever after with a very talented player, but they were dead-ass last in sacks per pass attempt in 2024.”
White showed promise despite playing sparingly as a rookie in 2023. This past season, he tallied five sacks and 16 quarterback hits while appearing in all 17 games.
Also in the episode: