Matthew Judon trade looks brilliant after Patriots defensive performance in Week 1

One of the most debated topics over the past month regarding the Patriots, besides the inevitable decision to make Jacoby Brissett the starting quarterback, was trading Matthew Judon to the Falcons for a third-round pick. The star pass rusher had been the main contributor to the team's defensive line since arriving in 2021, making his absence from the lineup questionable at best.

The trade received mixed reactions. Many fans were happy the Patriots received such a high draft pick in return for the 32-year-old coming off a season-ending injury, while others were not pleased to see the most productive defender shipped off at all.

Since the dust has settled and the conversation has focused elsewhere, there was a lot of talk about who would step up in Judon's place to be the disruptive player needed on the defensive line, even more so with Christian Barmore sidelined for the foreseeable future. The assumption had been that Keion White would be that guy, especially since he impressed this preseason.

Fortunately, that was the case in their season opener against the Bengals on Sunday afternoon, but not quite the same reality for Judon with his new team in the NFC South.

The Patriots might not regret trading Matthew Judon after all

Besides the obvious attention on the offense and how it would fare in its first game of the season, Sunday afternoon, there were many eyes on the Patriots' pass rush against a high-powered Cincinnati offense.

At the same time, the Falcons' new four-time Pro Bowl sack artist, who ended their Week 1 game with five tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one quarterback hit, also received a lot of attention. It was a productive yet more of a quiet performance from the former Patriot, which couldn't be said about Keion White for New England.

The second-year defensive end racked up four total tackles, 2.5 sacks, two for a loss, and three quarterback hits, seemingly securing his spot as the team's new dominant force on the defensive line.

Maybe it's too quick to conclude that White will rise to become the new Judon in the Patriots' defense based on just one performance. However, it was an exciting performance from the young player who had a forgettable rookie season in 2023.

There is going to be a lot of pressure on him and his teammates to maintain a top-10 group throughout the season, especially with questions on offense still being relevant. If he can repeat this type of performance as the weeks go on, it seems like the Patriots knew they were in good hands with White.

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