Global Courant 2023-04-29 05:43:34
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Keion White was one of 17 NFL designers who made the trip to Kansas City, Missouri, to sit backstage in the hopes of getting selected and have a national TV moment onstage with Commissioner Roger Goodell.
He sat in the green room for the entire first round without hearing his name called.
He didn’t return for Friday night’s Round 2, but he didn’t have long to wait.
Picking the Georgia Tech standout 46th overall, the New England Patriots added one of the most agile edge rushers to this year’s draft class.
White said he had no regrets about his draft experience.
“I gained experience going into the NFL draft. I will never experience that again. There were only 17 guys in the world who got to experience the 2023 NFL draft. So take the moment in,” White said. “It doesn’t matter where I got picked, I still got picked. And after this point I still have to work.
“It was a good experience. And now it’s time to get to work.”
He was the first of New England’s two picks on the second day of the draft. The Patriots also had the 76th overall pick in the third round – one of their 11 remaining picks. A trade with the Steelers on Thursday gave New England a fourth-round pick (120th overall).
On Thursday, the Patriots moved back three spots in the first round, selecting former Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the 17th pick.
White began his career at Old Dominion as a tight end before switching to the Yellow Jackets and moving to defense. The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder had 17 1/2 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss last season.
He is still a rookie at this position, having only played for two seasons. But he believes it gives him a lot of room to master different techniques as a professional.
“There is still so much to learn,” he said. “The transition was the best. It’s got me to this point now. But I’m still working. I’m still improving, I feel like we all are. It doesn’t matter if you’re an All -Pro or a rookie.”
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He never met the Patriots during the draft process, but he said he thinks their ability to develop talent is a good fit for his business-like approach to football.
“It was a surprise to me. However, I feel like our personalities work well together. So I feel like it’s a really good fit,” White said. “I’m not big on the glitz and glamor of football. I want to work. I want to win. I feel like that’s what the Patriots provide. I feel like we meet right there in the middle.
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