Georgia Tech's Keion White Says He Had No Predraft Communication With The Patriots

Keion White had hoped to be the first Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but the versatile Georgia Tech defender fell out of the first round and right into the lap of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

New England took White with the 46th pick and after he was picked, White was on a conference call with reporters and revealed that he actually did not have any predraft communication with the Patriots:

On conference call, Keion White said that he had no contact with the Patriots prior to him getting picked. As a result, he was surprised, but called it a good match. "I'm not too big in the glitz and glamor of football."
— Ken Sugiura (@ksugiuraajc) April 29, 2023

That is not an unusual occurrence, but it is an interesting wrinkle in the selection of White.

White is going to join a defense that was one of the best in the NFL last season but is looking for some juice in the pass rush. Belichick is going to love White's ability to move around on the front seven and the fact that he is still getting better as a defensive lineman.

White also mentioned that the Patriots are going to be getting someone who loves the game and is always looking to get better:

More from White: “The Patriots are getting someone that is constantly looking to get better in every aspect of the game.”
— Russell Johnson (@RJohnson404) April 29, 2023

When asked about his time at the draft and not being picked (White did not stay in Kansas City after the first round of the draft), here is what White had to say:

.@ksugiuraajc asked White about his time yesterday and Kansas City:

“I enjoyed my time there. I got to experience going to the NFL Draft. I’ll never get to do that again. Only 17 people in the world got the chance to be there at the 2023 NFL Draft.”
— Russell Johnson (@RJohnson404) April 29, 2023

White is the highest draft pick for the Yellow Jackets since 2016 (Adam Gotsis, 63rd overall)

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, which 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.

Playing defensive end for only a few seasons makes me think that White is just starting to scratch his potential and he could see a big jump in the NFL. He is an extremely hard-working player with very good athleticism and can play multiple positions along the defensive line.

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