Patriots Young Defender Labeled Most Underrated Player

The New England Patriots have seen their fair share of additions and upgrades across the roster on both sides of the ball during the recent months of this offseason.

Whether you look at the Patriots' spending spree in free agency, or draft moves both offensively and defensively, the outlook for New England and their regular season ahead is looking a whole lot better compared to 2024, and could even be the lead-up to their first playoff appearance since 2020.

However, even with the multitude of acquisitions from this offseason, the Patriots may have one player left in the mix from the team's previous regime who might be getting a bit overlooked heading into the 2025 season: edge rusher Keion White.

Pro Football Focus' Jonathon Macri labeled White as the Patriots' most underrated player on the roster ahead of next season, crediting his versatility and strong year two production:

"White experienced a Year 2 breakout in 2024, playing a crucial role along New England’s defensive line, leading the team in pass-rush snaps (427), PFF pass-rush grade (76.7), pressures (45) and sacks (six)," Macri wrote. "Despite logging more than 500 defensive snaps as a rookie in 2023, White didn’t produce all that much, He stepped up in 2024 with the team trusting him in a larger role, even ranking 22nd at the position in PFF pass-rush grade while lining up in multiple spots and even dropping into coverage on occasion."

Since being drafted in 2023, White has been viewed by many as a pending ball of potential ready to break out. And perhaps with a new coach in Mike Vrabel taking the reins on the sidelines and another year of offseason progression, that could be the perfect storm necessary for 26-year-old to have a strong season on New England's front seven.

The Patriots have no shortage of need for playmakers off the edge in 2025. They ranked bottom ten in the league for sacks and pressures, marking a clear need for a step forward in the trenches if they want to see an exponential surge up the standings for next season.

White may not be the only answer to those holes, but he could be a considerable part of the arrow trending up following a brutal previous campaign.