The New England Patriots entered 2023 with one of the stronger defenses in the league, but season-ending injuries to starting linebacker Matthew Judon and cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones hurt them significantly. The Patriots could not find adequate midseason replacements for those starters, and as a result, the defense saw a drop in production later in the season. New England finished ninth in the league in points allowed ( 18.
9 ) last season. Entering 2024, however, Patriots backups on defense seem more promising. Here are under-the-radar players who have the potential to transform the defense: Edge-rusher Keion White White's rookie year in 2023 was not statistically exceptional (one sack and three tackles for loss), but he impressed on film.
The clips below, compiled by CLNS Media's Taylor Kyles, show White did a nice job quickly getting pressure on the quarterback and disrupting the run. Keion White wreaked havoc when he was in attack mode last season Needs to continue playing under control and finishing more consistently, but he's gonna be a nightmare once everything comes together pic.twitter.
com/EGQFUm2RCk According to head coach Jerod Mayo, the 25-year-old has already started to show signs of improvement from his rookie season. "[White] has kind of taken that step forward as far as being a leader — not as much vocally, but you see him actually leading the groups and working well," Mayo before training camp , per ESPN.com.
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