Patriots DE Keion White’s impressive debut no surprise to his former coach

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. White’s debut: Patriots second-round pick Keion White’s impressive debut in Thursday’s preseason opener might have caught some by surprise, but Geoff Collins and Ricky Rahne weren’t among that group.

Collins, the former head coach at Georgia Tech, where White played in 2021 and 2022, said what he saw in the Patriots’ 20-9 loss to the Houston Texans looked similar to what he used to watch firsthand.

Likewise for Rahne, the Old Dominion head coach who had White on his team during the Monarchs’ COVID-19-eliminated 2020 season.

“When NFL scouts would come through here and ask about him, I would tell them I would take him with a first-round pick,” Rahne said. “There are very few players with a pure physical combination of talents that are going to be able to match his. This is what I thought would happen.”

The versatile defensive end started Friday, played 27 defensive snaps and totaled three tackles and three QB pressures in a stat line that didn’t fully reflect how disruptive and technically sound he was while playing multiple spots.

Collins had given the Patriots a sparkling recommendation on White leading into the draft, calling him a “special player and man that I’ve grown to know and love over the past two years.” The two initially connected when White transferred to Georgia Tech from Old Dominion in 2021.

“The thing that stood out to us when we watched his tape from ODU was how [physically gifted] he was for his size [6-foot-5, 290 pounds] and how physically dominant he could be when he was still very raw at his new position,” Collins told ESPN. “And the relentless effort he played with in every game.”

White didn’t start playing defensive end until the spring of 2019 after switching from tight end, which is hard to believe based on Thursday when he matched up favorably against seven-year NFL veteran offensive tackle George Fant, among others.

One of White’s signature plays came when he crashed in from the edge unblocked to thump running back Dare Ogunbowale on a fumbled exchange, but that might have also been his easiest. Coach Bill Belichick appreciates the tougher-to-notice dirty work, such as executing a two-gapping technique (controlling the blocker, stacking, then shedding to make a tackle) from a three-point stance like White did when he dropped running back Devin Singletary on a 1-yard run on the second play of the game.

Or when White quickly turned from defender to aggressor on safety Jalen Mills’ interception return, chased down rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud to stop him short of the sticks on a third-and-4 scramble and maintained discipline off the edge on a play fake to pressure quarterback Davis Mills.

“His size and limitless [physical] ability give him the flexibility to play a lot of different spots on the defensive front and being able to drop into coverage as needed. He’s also highly intelligent and can handle a large volume of playbook assignments as well,” Collins said.

Added Rahne: “If you try to block him with a running back in pass pro, that’s not going to go too well; he’s just too big and physical. But if he gets 1-on-1 inside against a guard in space, he probably has too much quickness. And he still has the ability to push the pocket from the outside, not to mention he has great ball skills.”

That makes White an ideal fit for Belichick, whose defense is always evolving. So, too, does his businesslike approach, with Jalen Mills noting that White is “a super, super quiet guy [who] works hard.”

White’s quiet approach was evident to those at the Senior Bowl during the pre-draft process, as those who worked the game said he barely spoke all week. And at least one NFL team had trouble warming up to White when he visited before the draft, which led to his grade being lowered by that club, according to a front office source from that team.

But those who asked Collins about White received a different report.

“Keion may not come across as talkative to the public, especially initially, but he is an incredible person that cares deeply about his family, friends and teammates, and has a wonderful sense of humor and perspective on life,” Collins said.

“He has always been very mature and a deep thinker as well. He likes knowing everything about a subject that he cares deeply about. He also likes to know the reasoning behind things he’s being asked to do, so that he can fully execute at a high level.”

It’s timely background to highlight, because arguably no one was executing at a higher level Thursday night.

2. OL questions: One of the more troubling aspects for the Patriots in their preseason opener was the offensive line, with Belichick acknowledging, “We’re dealing with some injuries. … The guys that got in there got some experience. It’s tough for the backs, it’s tough for the quarterback. We didn’t have a lot of space for the most part.”

But those close to the situation don’t expect the front-line personnel shortage to linger, with starters Trent Brown (undisclosed), Cole Strange (undisclosed left leg, knee injury) and David Andrews (undisclosed) getting closer to joining veteran Riley Reiff on the field, leaving starting right guard Mike Onwenu (still on the physically unable to perform list after offseason surgery on one of his ankles) as the biggest remaining question. Free agent addition Calvin Anderson is also working his way back on the non-football illness list.

3. Gonzo’s physicality: Some NFL scouts noted that Patriots first-rounder Christian Gonzalez’s physicality was an area that could improve coming out of Oregon, which explains, in part, why he was still available at No. 17. It’s a knock on him that he’d like to erase, and in Thursday’s game, the 6-2, 205-pound Gonzalez received an immediate introduction to NFL-caliber physicality when 6-4, 215-pound Texans receiver Nico Collins plowed into him and rocked him back on an 8-yard catch-and-run. “He told me it woke him up a little bit,” fellow defensive back Mills said of Gonzalez. “But he said he needed that.”

4. Cunningham’s next step: When Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien shared last week how “this is one of the better quarterback rooms I’ve ever been a part of,” he had specifically referenced Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorley in his answer. That’s because undrafted Malik Cunningham more often has met with the receivers, but here’s a hot-button question: Should that change after Thursday’s preseason opener? At quarterback, Cunningham was dazzling with the ball in his hands (5 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD), and accurate throwing it (3-of-4, 19 yards), albeit against bottom-of-the-roster players in the fourth quarter.

5. Matching the swarm: First-year Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has preached a “swarm” mentality on defense, and he liked what he saw against the Patriots on Thursday when it came to players who “flew around” and were “hitting, physical and showing up violently to the ball.” In turn, one would think Belichick & Co. will be serving up notice to offensive players that they didn’t match that level consistently enough. Let’s see if they arrive in Green Bay this week for joint practices and their second preseason game with a little more of an edge.

6. Pop vs. Boutte: On a night when most Patriots starters were rested in the preseason opener, it was notable that rookie receiver Demario “Pop” Douglas — a sixth-round pick from Liberty — played just two offensive snaps. Meanwhile, fellow sixth-rounder Kayshon Boutte of Louisiana State played 32. That reflects how Douglas has made a strong first impression for a roster spot, while Boutte — who has been coming on in recent practices — still has ground to make up.

7. Player safety: Are five full-pads practices a high enough total for players before taking the field for the first preseason game? That’s how many the Patriots had before Thursday’s opener, and this reporter sensed a level of frustration from some around the team that the NFL-imposed limits all teams have on full-pads practices make it harder to safely and effectively get players ready for action. It also adds context to why the product on the field (e.g., so many top players being held out) in most preseason openers is not too appealing.

8. Phillips as hype man: Safety Devin McCourty was known for his inspirational pregame speeches to Patriots defensive backs, and now that he’s retired, who will fill the void? On the “McCourty Twincast” of the team’s preseason opener, McCourty relayed that veteran safety Adrian Phillips has expressed interest in the role, with cornerback Jonathan Jones on standby if Phillips doesn’t rise to the occasion.

9. Kraft’s moment of truth: Tuesday is a big day for Patriots owner Robert Kraft, as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s coach/contributor committee will meet via videoconference to select one coach or contributor for the Class of 2024. Kraft is once again a semifinalist, joining Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Bucko Kilroy, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Art Rooney Jr., Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Shanahan, Clark Shaughnessy, Lloyd Wells and John Wooten.

10. Did you know? Since Belichick became head coach in 2000, the Patriots have had 10 or more rookies on their opening-day roster six times (2000, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2015). This year’s 12-member draft class, plus UDFA Cunningham, makes 2023 a strong candidate to be added to the list.