Patriots Have NFL’s Next Superstar?

This New England Patriots' rising star could be the NFL's next big name.

Sep 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Keion White (99) sacks Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

When the New England Patriots traded edge rusher Matthew Judon and lost defensive tackle Christian Barmore for the foreseeable future due to blood clots, things were looking rather bleak for the team's pass rush.

However, one Patriots defender appears to be emerging as a legitimate star in the early stages of the 2024 NFL campaign: defensive lineman Keion White.

James Foster of The 33rd Team gushed about White in a recent piece, noting that he has taken a massive jump in his second NFL season.

Through the first two games of the year, White has already racked up 11 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble. That comes after the 25-year-old registered just 26 tackles and a sack during his rookie year in 2023.

Foster praises White's versatility, specifying that he has been listed as a defensive end, a defensive tackle and an edge rusher across different NFL sites. He also appreciates the job New England defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington has done in deploying White to maximize his talents.

"This year, he’s been consistently violent and decisive with his hands, showing little hesitation in the early stages of the play," Foster wrote of White. "His increased confidence has unleashed his rare athletic traits and made him a headache for blockers to stay in front of."

White boasts an 82.3 Pro Football Focus grade over the first two weeks, and while it's obviously a small sample size, it could be a sign of things to come.

Put it this way: White has already logged as many quarterback hits (five) as he had all of last season when he played 16 games.

The Pats have certainly managed to unlock White early on. Whether or not the Georgia Tech product can maintain it is the question.

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