The New England Patriots relied heavily on their defense in 2023, and while it wasn’t enough to overcome their horrific offensive outputs, they were still a solid group.
Now, in 2024, with some of their key pieces returning from injury and young players having another year under their belt, the defense could be one of the league’s best units.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo picked another defender, edge rusher Keion White, as a player that’s surprised him so far during the team’s offseason program.
“Keion’s doing a good job for us,” Mayo said. “I would say also, Keion’s kind of taking that step forward as far as being a leader. Not as much vocally, but you see him actually leading the groups and working well. If you need a name, that’s a good one.”
White, 25, was New England’s second-round pick last year out of Georgia Tech. In 16 games as a rookie, he played 49% of the team’s defensive snaps and recorded 26 tackles (three for a loss), five quarterback hits, three passes defensed and a sack.
The Patriots would benefit greatly from White taking a large step in his second season. If White, Joshua Uche, Matthew Judon and Deatrich Wise can put consistent pressure on opposing cornerbacks, things will be much easier for the backend and the offense.
