FOXBORO — For a muscular, 6-foot-5 and 290-pound human being, it’s easy to overlook Keion White.
During the draft, the Patriots’ sandwiched his selection in the second round by picking cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker/safety Marte Mapu. Since the rookies arrived, Gonzalez and Mapu have made headlines with their performances in OTA and initial training camp practices. Meanwhile, White has been plugging away, most often with the second-team defense. He earned a would-be “sack” during competitive team drills Friday.
It’s possible White, whom some experts viewed as a first-round talent, could earn a rotational pass-rushing role by Week 1. Or develop into a starter next season. But White, who’s played multiple spots across the defensive front thus far in camp, insists he isn’t looking ahead.
He’s truly just happy to practice.
“You kind of work all your life to get to this point. You can’t just look forward to the games, you’ve got to look forward to the practices, too,” White said Sunday. “So I feel like I’ve gotten the opportunity to be here instead of, like, I have to be here.”
As for how he’s improved in training camp, White mentioned recognizing what the Patriots offense is about to execute and how they’ll block him.
“Knowledge of the game, for sure,” he said. “Just being able to read offenses a little bit better and know what blocking combinations are coming. That’s definitely one thing I’ve improved on a lot.”
Mac Jones and Co. worked at a rapid pace in Sunday’s practice, simulating the 2-minute drills they’ll run during the regular season. Playing at that tempo immediately put White’s growth to the test on the fourth practice and fifth day of training camp.
“It was fast. I definitely have to improve on speeding up my thought process and reading things,” White said. “But that comes with practice and repetition, so I look forward to that.”
As a prospect, White came off a 7.5 sack season last year at Georgia Tech. He also totaled 14 tackles for loss, just two seasons after converting from tight end. White tested as one of the strongest and most explosive athletes at the NFL combine, including 30 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and two of the highest marks in the entire class in the vertical and broad jumps.