The New England Patriots used a second-round pick on hybrid defensive tackle/end Keion White in 2023.
Unfortunately, White hasn't lived up to his lofty draft status, and it's time to evaluate the pros and cons of whether they should trade him before this year's deadline for a player or future draft capital.
Through seven games, there are two players ahead of White on the depth chart at edge, where he's aligned the most for the Patriots in 2025. Those players are starters Harold Landry III and the emerging force K'Lavon Chaisson.
At defensive tackle — White's best position — there are four players seemingly ahead of him on the depth chart in Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Khyiris Tonga, and even rookie Joshua Farmer.
Should the New England Patriots trade Keion White before the NFL's Nov. 4 trade deadline?
There are pros and cons to trading White. Do the pros outweigh the cons, or is the former Georgia Tech standout worth keeping around until the end of the season, when his rookie contract will expire and he can then sign elsewhere?
The Pros of trading Keion White now
The Patriots could recoup some value from trading a former second-round draft pick in White; yet, how much is debatable. White's production in his two-plus years in the league is paltry. He has only six sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 21 quarterback hits to his credit.
In White's defense, most of his snaps have been at defensive end. All three of his coaches, the past three years, have played him primarily at the edge. As an edge, the production hasn't been there, and overall, he's been a huge disappointment. His best position is at defensive tackle.
Regardless, he's fallen so far down on the depth chart at tackle that it's clear Mike Vabel doesn't have confidence in the player; conversely, if they see him as an edge and his play continues to falter, it's a cinch he'll test the free agency waters after the season.
It therefore makes sense to seriously consider a trade now and at least recoup some value.
The cons of trading Keion White
White is a tremendous physical specimen at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds. But as an edge defender, he doesn't have the requisite speed to get through or around NFL offensive tackles. His performance has proven that. He's neither getting to the quarterback enough, nor making plays that matter off the edge.
White's game isn't speed; it's power and the ability to collapse a pocket inside, playing defensive tackle in a gap. Unfortunately for him, Vrabel feels that all three of Williams, Barmore, Tonga, and now even the rookie Farmer are more suited for his inside defensive front.
In light of those three or four defensive tackles ahead of him on the depth chart, he's a non-factor at tackle, and he's been playing on the edge. If Vrabel should suddenly change his mind and play White in a gap beside Barmore and Williams, then he'll perform and shouldn't be traded.
The reality is clear, however, that Vrabel isn't going to do that. He's pegged White as a defensive end, and White isn't measuring up.
Therefore, it behooves the Patriots to trade him at the deadline for value before he leaves in free agency. But if they do, they should be prepared to see him explode onto the NFL scene as a defensive tackle somewhere else. That's his best NFL position.