What Are The Top Landing Spots For Keion White In The First Round?

It is hard to find a guy that has risen higher on NFL Draft boards and the national radar than Georgia Tech defensive end Keion White. He is being listed in numerous mock drafts in the first round and had a great week at the Senior Bowl. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah ranked White 8th among his top players available in the entire draft and with a good combine performance next week, there is no telling how high White could climb.

So what are the likely landing spots when/if White is picked in the first round?

Note: any team on the board could take White because of the premium position he plays and how talented and versatile he is. Some team that is not listed here could deem him the "best player available" on their draft board and take him, even if there is not an obvious fit. Just because a team is not listed here, does not mean that they might not take him.

1. Atlanta Falcons

Why not just stay in Atlanta and play for a team that is desperate to finally have a pass rush? The Falcons had the league's worst pass rush last season and hold the 8th pick in the draft. I think this is the highest possible landing spot for White and the Falcons could use him as an edge rusher or inside. New defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen could find a player with White's skill set useful and the Falcons could grab him with the 8th pick.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles hold two first-round picks (10th and 31st) and could elect to take a pass rusher with either of them. Philly has a number of defensive linemen that are going to be free agents and White has the versatility for the Eagles to stick him anywhere. This would be a high-upside landing spot for the former Georgia Tech defensive end.

3. Detroit Lions

The Lions are another team that has multiple first-round picks (6th and 18th) and if they take White, my guess is that it would be at 18. The consensus top two pass rushers in the draft (Alabama's Will Anderson Jr and Texas Tech's Tyree Wilson) could be on the board at six and the Lions might take one of those guys or if they are off the board, they may elect to fill another need. If that is the case, White could be the perfect guy to pair with last year's first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mel Kiper Jr had Tampa Bay taking White in a mock draft in the last month or so and that could be an intriguing fit. The Bucs need more pass-rushing help and Todd Bowles is one of the best defensive minds in the sport and could use a versatile piece for his defense.

5. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks hold two first-round picks (5th and 20th) and I am going to focus on the 20th pick. Seattle is going to look for pieces to add to their defense and one of those picks could be a pass rusher. If Anderson or Wilson is not their pick at No. 5, then I think that could make White a great candidate to be picked at No. 20. The Seahawks are going to be looking to add pass rushers in this class and I think White could be a guy they could target.

6. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings hold the 24th pick in the draft and they had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season and need to get younger on that side of the ball. If White slips down this far, it would be foolish for Minnesota to not think about taking White and placing him along their defensive line.

7. Dallas Cowboys

The final team that I am going to list is the one that Jeremiah had White going to in his latest mock draft. The Cowboys and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn love versatile pieces on their defense and might find a player as versatile as White as the next big piece. This would be a great landing spot for White if he is still on the board, going to an already elite defense, and he would get great coaching and benefit from playing with a guy like Micah Parsons.

These are the teams that I think are going to be the most obvious landing spots for White, but that list could grow.

The 2023 NFL Draft begins on April 27th.

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