Keion White Absent From First Round Of Prominent Final Mock Drafts

Will White be the highest Yellow Jacket drafted since Adam Gotsis in 2016?

Jackson Caudell | Apr 27, 2023

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Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

It is finally Draft Day.

The NFL Draft begins tonight and it is going to be an exciting time for Georgia Tech fans, as there is a possibility of a Yellow Jacket being picked in the first round since 2010 when Demaryius Thomas and Derrick Morgan were selected in 2010.

But if you listen to the Draft's biggest experts, Georgia Tech might have to wait a little longer to celebrate having a first-round pick.

Will Georgia Tech Defensive end Keion White be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft? / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In Mel Kiper's final mock draft released today, he did not have White going in the first round. He had five defensive linemen/edge rushers going ahead of White. Will Anderson (Alabama), Tyree Wilson (Texas Tech), Lukas Van Ness (Iowa), Myles Murphy (Clemson), and Nolan Smith (Georgia) are the guys projected to go ahead of him tonight according to Kiper.

In Todd McShay's final mock released this morning, he had six defensive linemen/edge rushers going before White. Anderson, Wilson, Van Ness, Smith, and Murphy are all included in McShay's first round, but he also had Iowa State edge rusher, Will McDonald going at the end of the first round.

Dane Brugler at the Athletic has had the most accurate mock draft in recent years and he does not have White landing with a team tonight either. He has Anderson, Wilson, Murphy, Smith, and Van Ness going in the first round.

If White does not go in the first round tonight, he will be one of the top players on the board for the second round and I don't think he will have to wait long to hear his name called.

White played in all 12 games for Georgia Tech last season and led the team with 7.5 sacks and was named third-team All-ACC. His best game was against North Carolina, who had one of the top offenses in the country.

In that game against the Tar Heels, White produced three sacks, four tackles for loss, and seven tackles. It was not only the best defensive linemen performance of the week but also one of the best of the entire season.

Georgia Tech held UNC to its season low in points, in total yards, and Heisman-contending quarterback Drake Maye to his season low in total passing yards.

After the season, White was invited to play in the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl and he was impressive in practice all week. Although he did not play in the game, he left Mobile being touted as one of the top players that week:

Here is what top NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said about White this week at practice:

"He came in as my top-rated Senior Bowl player, and I thought he improved every day. He didn't have that wow moment that jumped out to everyone, but he was steady. White has big-time power, as we saw in some of the one-on-ones and the team period on Thursday. He's a Round 1 player."

At the start of the week, Jeremiah had White ranked as the eighth-best player in the entire draft:

"White is a twitched-up edge rusher with a defensive tackle frame. Against the pass, he has an explosive first step and can really bend at the top of his rush. He can convert speed to power and refuses to stay blocked. He never stops working to free himself and he can stack one move after another. He is a freaky athlete in coverage. On tape, you can see him peel off and mirror running backs 30 yards down the field. He also showed off his effort and motor by running more than 80 yards to look for a block on a Georgia Tech fumble return vs. Florida State. Against the run, he is violent with his hands to shock and shed blocks. He has a huge burst to close from the backside. Overall, White is one of my favorite players in the class and could emerge as the top defender in the class."

The 2023 NFL Draft beings tonight at 8:00 p.m.

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