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

Patriots Trade Young Defensive End To 49ers

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Ethan Hurwitz | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 7:09 PM ET

The first domino of the New England Patriots trade deadline cycle has fallen. According to multiple reports, including NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz, the Patriots have traded away defensive end Keion White and a 2026 seventh-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

White -- a second round selection out of Georgia Tech in 2023 -- had a very uneven career with New England. Since being drafted, the towering edge rusher had shown bright signs of being an elite player to get after the passer, but struggled to string performances together. His 2024 campaign begun with a strong start, but he began to falter as the year progressed.

White's Tenure in New England Was Shaky at Best

To start 2025, White hadn't registered a tackle for loss or a quarterback hit in his five games active. He missed some time with a minor injury, and was a healthy scratch in the team's recent win over the Cleveland Browns. That was the first sign that potentially White would be elsewhere come the trade deadline. He had only suited up and played on 123 defensive snaps this year, a far drop off from the 829 he played under Jerod Mayo a season prior.

The 49ers now add another edge rusher after they've been decimated with injury after injury on the defensive front. They had been reportedly looking for help at defensive end since superstar Nick Bosa went down for the season with a torn ACL, and while White might not be as talented as Bosa, he is sure to be a solid contributor in what still remains a very good San Francisco defensive unit.

White will now be on his fourth head coach in just three seasons, something he mentioned over the summer as one of the reasons why he felt like he connected with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. Now he joins Kyle Shanahan's team.

"Just consistency and having confidence," White said about his game back in June. "I feel like we have really good guys on inside who can get after the passer on every down situations. That changes what I can do a little bit. I can be a little less conservative and be more aggressive on the edge. It changes a lot of things, and I have a really good coach, coach (Mike) Smith telling me steps, alignment things like that I haven’t traditionally heard. Just that next step of having that coach behind me has been really good for me."

The Patriots will now have three sixth-round picks at their deposal for next season's NFL Draft.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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