Why DE Keion White Perfectly Fits What the 49ers Want

Trading for Patriots DE Keion White doesn’t move the needle much, but he is a perfect fit for the 49ers.

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Keion White (99) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Reinforcement has arrived.

The San Francisco 49ers are acquiring defensive end Keion White from the New England Patriots in exchange for a 2026 sixth and seventh-round pick.

White is a former 2023 second-round pick of the Patriots who has struggled to find a role under the new regime this season. Acquiring him is a necessary move for the 49ers to make. The pass rush has been completely abysmal since Nick Bosa tore his ACL. 

It was at its worst this past Sunday against the Houston Texans. Adding White can only make it better from here. Trading for White doesn’t move the needle much, but he is a perfect fit for the 49ers. 

Why Keion White is a perfect fit for the 49ers

Sep 29, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) runs away from New England Patriots defensive end Keion White (99) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

For starters, White is extremely cheap to acquire. Giving up a sixth and a seventh round pick for a premium position is always worth it. 

That’s only emphasized more since the 49ers are desperate to improve their pass rush. Trading for White also aligns with what the 49ers have been saying for weeks. 

They’re interested in making a move for a pass rusher, but not at the expense of their future. Meaning, they wanna take a flier on a player who isn’t costly and will remain on the team beyond the current season. 

In years past, they have forfeited decent draft capital for rentals. Defensive ends Chase Young and Randy Gregory are the most recent and perfect examples of it from 2023. 

The 49ers aren’t into that anymore, and I can’t say I blame them. White hasn’t done anything noteworthy this season, but he did start his career promising in the first two seasons. 

He tallied six sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 30 hurries last season. The best part of all is that he’s versatile. If there’s one thing the 49ers love, it’s pass rushers whom they can line up all over.

Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Keion White (99) blocking Los Angeles Rams tight end Davis Allen (87) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Last season, White was moved across the defensive line, lining up at left edge (26.8 percent of snaps), left interior (17.5 percent), right interior (18.8 percent), and right edge (35.0 percent).

He was one of just four defensive linemen to play at least 15 percent of his snaps at each of those four spots. From an interior alignment, White generated a pressure rate of 16.2 percent, the highest by any player with at least 100 interior pass rushes.

When Bryce Huff returns, it should allow the 49ers to finally have a somewhat effective pass rush. It’s not going to be impressive by any means, but they at least should be making more of an impact. 

They just needed to try to do something to make their pass rush relevant again. Not to mention that their depth is incredibly thin.

White is hopefully the answer the 49ers are looking for to give a small boost to their pass rush.

Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchez_to interact with him on the 49ers.

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