Unpacking Future Packers: No. 19, Georgia Tech DE Keion White

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2023 NFL draft.

A priority for Brian Gutekunst this offseason is to bolster Green Bay’s pass rush. Even prior to Rashan Gary’s season-ending injury, Green Bay’s pass rush lacked juice. 

According to Pro Football Focus, the Packers generated just 256 pressures last season, which ranked third in the NFC North. 

A player that could give Green Bay’s pass rush a shot in the arm is Keion White. The Georgia Tech pass rusher checks in at No. 19 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.

White a three-star recruit that played tight end and defensive end in high school, started his collegiate career as a tight end at Old Dominion. In 2019, White moved to the defensive side of the ball and responded with 62 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one interception.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Old Dominion canceled its football season in 2020 and White transferred to Georgia Tech. White only played in four games during his first season at Georgia Tech due to injury. 

“When he first came in, he came off a season where he had 19.0 tackles for loss for Old Dominion,” Benjamin Tankersley, the co-manager of From the Rumble Seat said. “Naturally, expectations were incredibly high for White. Georgia Tech has lacked a good pass rusher for what feels like a decade now, and fans were excited for him to debut in 2021. Unfortunately, he was sidelined with an injury that seemed to linger throughout the whole season.”

White ended his collegiate career with a bang. He opened this past season with a two-sack performance against Clemson and finished the year with 54 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. 

“Because of Georgia Tech’s lack of success, expectations were incredibly low across the board,” Tankersley said. “In the first game against Clemson, White came back with a vengeance, scoring two sacks. Even though the score was not what we wanted, Tech fans finally saw some of the potential that came with Keion White’s transfer the year prior. Moving towards the season, White became a consistent force on the defensive line, garnering attention as an early-round draft prospect.”

White has a unique blend of size and speed. That’s a big reason why White was No. 20 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list this summer. It’s easy to identify him on tape with his frame and natural athleticism. 

“I think White is incredibly physically gifted,” Tankersley said. “He measured 6-foot-5, 285 pounds at the NFL Combine, but a lot of times, it seemed like he played like a guy much smaller, showing off his athleticism.”

White is a twitched-up defensive lineman. He has a lot of power in his 6-5 frame and good length (34-inch arms). He strikes with power and does a good job of converting speed to power. He may not always get home, but he consistently got the quarterback off his timing this past season. According to PFF, White finished this past season with 41 pressures to go along with his 7.5 sacks. 

“White is a good power rusher,” Tankersley said. “He is quick off the snap and can catch offensive linemen off guard. While on the line, he also shows off good agility to move around and make tackles or slide by offensive linemen.”

White does a good job of using his length to set the edge against the run. He has good range and the speed to chase down ball carriers from the backside. He’s powerful at the point of attack with strong hands. With his quickness of the snap he’s able to shoot the gap to disrupt the action in the backfield. 

“White is able to hold pretty well against the run,” Tankersley said. “I don’t have a particular stat to point to, but I don’t remember many cases of ball carriers breaking tackles he was in on. He also made a living in the backfield. Look at his 2019 stats. You don’t get 19 tackles for loss with just 3.5 sacks by being bad against the run.”

Fit with the Packers

Where would White line up if he were to land with the Packers? The Packers could view him as a standup edge rusher. There is no doubt that White has the athleticism to play outside linebacker opposite Gary.

They could view him as a defensive lineman, where his quickness could overwhelm interior linemen.

Ultimately, he could be a player that Joe Barry moves around the front seven. It’s third and eight and the Packers deploy Kenny Clark, Gary, Preston Smith, and White. That’s an impressive group on paper. 

“He’s big, he’s fast, and he’s mean,” Tankersley said. “To give more of an actual reason, he has demonstrated that when healthy, he can compete at a solid level and that his season at Old Dominion wasn’t a fluke. He had good games against some pretty solid ACC teams this season, like getting three sacks against UNC. Wherever he ends up, that team is getting a solid pick-up.”

With his athleticism and position versatility, there is no doubt that White will appeal to Gutekunst. White would bring juice to Green Bay’s front seven, where he could provide an immediate impact on passing downs. 

Once the Aaron Rodgers trade goes through, they will likely have multiple second-round picks. It would not be shocking if one of those picks ended up being the Georgia Tech pass rusher. 

Story originally appeared on Packers Wire