Keion White Putting Patriots Rookie Through Trial by Fire

FOXBORO, MA. — Despite the high draft pick, New England Patriots offensive tackle Will Campbell has not had a smooth start to his training camp as a rookie. A lot of that has to do with who he’s lined up against: Keion White.

The ferocious edge rusher won’t be sending Campbell any sympathy cards after this summer. The fourth-overall pick — though holding his own on some reps — has been manhandled by White the past week and change. It’s all part of the learning process for what New England hopes is its future long-term answer at left tackle.

“Trial by fire. The best way to learn how to not get ran through your face is by getting ran through your face,” White told reporters following Monday’s practice. “If somebody can do that every play, then he’s going to learn how to not let that happen.”

As part of that fiery trial, White has knocked the LSU draft pick onto the ground a couple of times. It’s been enough for Campbell to complain or to hang his head. Instead, his daily opposition says his mindset is part of what makes the rookie wired differently.

“The biggest thing for Will is his willingness to learn and ability to sometimes get beat, but not hold your head down,” White said. “A lot of times when you come in as a rookie, you’re going to lose reps. Everybody loses reps sometimes. Guys come in 5-stars, All-American, thinking they’re the best in the world. When they face adversity, sometimes they shut down.”

“That’s something that Will doesn’t do. He asks the questions,” White added. “He says, “OK, how can I not lose this rep?’ And he learns, and he comes back better. That’s the best thing you can do as a rookie. There’s going to be learning curves, there’s going to be challenges, but are you willing to put the work in to actually get better?”

Campbell, along with right guard Mike Onwenu and right tackle Morgan Moses, has been one of the few offensive linemen who’s been penciled in as the clear-cut starter at his position. On the other side White is entrenched in a deep defensive front that went out and added Harold Landry and Milton Williams in free agency, and drafted Joshua Farmer out of Florida State.

And while White might be beating Campbell, the eye test sometimes lies.

“One-on-one don’t really matter,” White said. “There’s so many other things that go into pass-rushing that you don’t really know if you’re winning or losing until you get the quarterback.”

For the Patriots, they’ve struggled in recent seasons because they haven't been able to get after the quarterback, as well as properly protect whoever is under center. It’s clear that while the summer battles between White and Campbell might feel like a trial, the team hopes that by mid-season, they’ll win the case.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!