During the early rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots put a strong emphasis on defense. 

And their top two picks have certainly made an impression. While  Christian Gonzalez has received a lot of attention during training camp, Keion White has been more in the background. But his impact is certainly felt.

And he earned high praise from one Patriots captain. 

"Very strong and intelligent," Deatrich Wise said. "Loves to work which is wonderful here. He's getting better every day since he stepped on the field. So, looking forward for more things from him." 

At 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, White brings physicality and versatility to the defensive line. 

And Wise, who is 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds, was asked about the similarities between the two. 

"We have a lot of similarities," Wise said. "Very strong athletic defensive linemen. He's a little bit faster than I am, so he plays a lot of outside linebacker… So we do have a lot of similarities, but there's also differences too."

Coming into the NFL from Georgia Tech, White put on a show at the combine, posting a 34-inch vertical leap and 9-feet, 9-inch broad jump along with bench pressing 225 pounds 30 times with 34-inch arms. He also ran a 4.79-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. 

"He came in a well polished guy. Just got to learn a few of the terminologies and what's some stuff means. But he's looking really good here. I'm really excited to see him play this year." 

In his final collegiate season, White recorded a total of 54 tackles, with 29 of them being solo tackles. He also ended the season with 7.5 sacks. 

So Wise along with the rest of the Patriots are ready to see what White brings to the defense. 

While White was surprised to be drafted by the Patriots, he had faith that it was going to be a good fit. And so far, that seems to be the case, as White is coming in with a winning mindset. 

Featured Image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports