A senior defensive lineman who had his breakout season last year, Georgia Tech’s Keion White looks to take the momentum from this past year forward as he enters the 2023 NFL draft.
Here is everything you need to know about the Yellow Jackets defensive frontman:
Vitals
Height: 6-5
Weight: 286
Class: Senior
Strengths
Keion White is a large and athletic human being with all the traits to be a starting defensive lineman in the NFL. His final year with Georgia Tech was a breakout one, where he nabbed a career high in sacks with seven and a half, and he produced forty total pressures on the year.
As a pass rusher, Keion White is a bit raw but uses his massive frame and athletic skillset to continually push and pummel offensive lineman in route to the quarterback. He has a non-stop motor combined with athletic traits that making him a nightmare to block for any duration of time, he has violent hands that he continually slams into lineman while attempting to speed through or around them. He has excellent bend around edges and can quickly transition off the bend into a full speed pursuit to the quarterback, this is not fully developed either so there is a lot of room for development and upside.
As a run defender White uses that same non stop-motor to keep his feet churning off the snap and extending his arms to move with blockers and eventually through them with excellent play strength in route to the ball carrier. He is patient as a defender and relentless in pursuit of the football. While he is not the best at shedding blocks, there is a lot to work with as well as flashes on film that show good signs he could develop into a consistent and upper tier run defender.
Weaknesses
As noted above, White is rather raw this far along in the process as he is already 24 years old as a senior. This is not to say he cannot develop further as it is mostly technique and refining his understanding at the position, but he may be a liability early, and could potentially miss part of his prime refining how he plays the position. He needs to develop a better pass rush toolbox as well as learn to be more consistent in using his frame and strength to disengage off blocks to avoid being taken out of the play.
White has more than enough talent to develop into one of the better linemen in the league, but he will need to work closely with NFL coaches to get his game up to par and blossom that potential into production.
Projection
Keion White is one of the more gifted players in the class and has a ton of untapped potential all packed into a clear NFL frame. His unreal athletic traits and signs of growth over the past season will get front offices excited about his potential in the league, as he could develop into a top tier defensive lineman quickly. There is inherent risk as he is rather raw for his age, but teams will be willing to take the risk on a guy with White’s traits and willingness to be coached and grow.
Projection: First Round Pick
