The New England Patriots may have something special in rookie edge rusher Keion White.
White, selected in the second round (46th overall) in this year's NFL Draft, was a bright spot in New England's 20-9 preseason opener loss to the Houston Texans. The Georgia Tech product wreaked havoc on the Texans' offensive line throughout the first half with a quarterback hit, three tackles, and this big hit on running back Dare Ogunbowale to help the Patriots recover the fumble:
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Our Phil Perry has been touting White's freak athleticism since the spring. He continued to do so after Thursday night's performance.
"This guy has pretty rare movement skills. We saw it at Georgia Tech. He was covering running backs out of the backfield on wheel routes 40 yards down the field at 285 pounds," Perry said on Patriots Postgame Live.
"He's a special, special athlete in my opinion. Who knows if he's going to be able to put it together against starters? He had his way with backups here tonight. But a very good step in the right direction. He does not look like a rookie. He is built like a five-year vet."
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After the game, White shared the goal he set for himself heading into his unofficial Patriots debut.
"Just play physical," he said. "I can fix all the rest of the stuff, technique and everything. But just playing a physical, dominant style of the game was my main focus today."
Mission accomplished.
White will have a chance to give an encore performance next week when the Patriots visit the Green Bay Packers. Kickoff for that preseason matchup is set for Saturday, Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. ET.