Patriots pick edge rusher Keion White, safety Marte Mapu in 2nd, 3rd rounds of draft
FOXBORO — Keion White was one of 17 NFL draft prospects who made the trip to Kansas City to sit backstage in hopes of getting selected and having a national TV moment on stage with Commissioner Roger Goodell.
He sat in the green room for the entire first round without hearing his name called.
He didn't return for Friday night's second round, but he didn't have long to wait.
The New England Patriots picked the Georgia Tech standout 46th overall, adding one of the most agile edge rushers in this year’s draft class.
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White said he had no regrets about his draft experience.
“I got to experience going to the NFL draft. I'll never experience that ever again. There was only 17 guys in the world that got to experience the 2023 NFL draft. So, you take the moment in," White said. "No matter where I got picked, I still got picked. And I still have to put work in after this point.
“It was a good experience. And now it's time to get to work.”
The Patriots also selected Sacramento State safety/linebacker hybrid Marte Mapu with the 76th overall pick in the third round. A trade with the Steelers on Thursday gave New England a fourth-round pick (120th overall).
On Thursday, the Patriots moved back three spots in the first round and selected former Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the 17th pick.
White began his career at Old Dominion as a tight end before transferring to the Yellow Jackets and moving to defense. The 6-foot-5, 285-pounder had 17½ sacks and 14 tackles for a loss last season.
Mapu, at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, was a first-team FCS All-American and the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. He finished his final season with 76 tackles, including 6½ for a loss, two interceptions, four pass breakups and a blocked kick.
His profile is similar to that of fourth-year Patriots safety Kyle Dugger, who played at Division II Lenore-Rhyne and is now a versatile part of New England's defense.
“I'd say I'd describe my game by just having the fundamentals,” Mapu said. “I feel like I can run, cover, hit and make plays. I have good instincts. ... Wherever I am, I'm just going to contribute the best at it.”
White is still a novice on the edge, having played there for only two seasons. But he believes it gives him a lot of room to master different techniques as a professional.
“There's still so much stuff to learn,” he said. “The transition was for the best. It got me to this point now. But I'm still working. I'm still improving, I feel like we all are. No matter if you're an All-Pro or you're a rookie.”
White never met with the Patriots during the draft process, but he said he thinks their ability to develop talent meshes well with his business-first approach to football.
“It was a surprise to me. I feel like our personalities mix well, though. So I feel like it's a really good fit,” White said. “I'm not too big in the glitz and glamour of football. I want to work. I want to win. I feel like that's what the Patriots offer. I feel like that's where we meet in the middle at.”
On Saturday, the Patriots used their first pick of the fourth round (107th overall) to take center Jake Andrews out of Troy. The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder projects as a developmental backup option who is capable of playing all three interior spots. Andrews started 38 games over his five-year career at Troy. In 2022, when he started 14 games at center and was named first-team All-SBC, he played under ex-Patriots offensive line coach Cole Popovich.
With their second pick in the fourth round, 112th overall, the Pats picked Maryland kicker Chad Ryland. He began his collegiate career at Western Michigan but transferred to Maryland for his final season, garnering second-team All-Big Ten Conference honors by making 19 of 23 field-goal attempts (82.6%, 3 of 6 from 50-plus yards) and 39 of 40 extra points (97.5%) while creating touchbacks on 51 of 73 kickoffs (69.9%).
With the 117th pick, New England took Sidy Sow, a guard out of Eastern Michigan. At 6-5, 323 pounds, Sow is rated as a powerful, physical run-blocker. A Canadian, Sow was a four-year starter with 42 career starts primarily at left guard. He was a second-team AP and coaches' All-Pac 12 selection. At 25, Sow is an older, smaller-school prospect who needs fine-tuning in his pass-protection techniques.
With their remaining picks on Saturday, the Patriots selected guard Atonio Mafi (144th, fifth round) from UCLA, receiver Kayshon Boutte (187th, sixth round) from LSU, punter Bryce Baringer (192, sixth round) from Michigan State, receiver Demario Douglas (210th, sixth round) from Liberty, cornerback/special teams Ameer Speed (214th, sixth round) from Michigan State, and defensive back/kick returner Isaiah Bolden (245th, seventh round) from Jackson State.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Patriots add edge rusher Keion White, safety Marte Mapu in NFL draft
