The 2023 NFL Draft is just two days away. The Aaron Rodgers trade has finally happened, and the Packers have moved from the 15th pick to the 13th pick. Green Bay has also acquired another early 2nd round pick, where they can certainly add another impactful player.
Does this have much of an effect on the player I decided to do a profile on this week? Not so much. However, the addition of another 2nd round pick makes a potential selection of this player more likely.
You’ve already seen it in the title – I’m not sure why I bother with any sort of buildup. The final player we’re covering in this series is Keion White, a player who is rarely spoken about in first-round draft conversations and mock drafts. However, White has been rumored to be a player the Packers are interested in.
DE Keion White, Georgia Tech
The 24-year-old White is listed at 6’5, 286 lbs. Twenty-four years old is certainly older than you’d like to see in a player coming out in the draft. White played both tight end and defensive end in high school and began his redshirt collegiate career as a tight end before finally switching to a full-time defensive end.
Despite his age, White is generally viewed as a high-upside prospect who enjoyed his breakout and best season in 2022 with 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss. The defensive line was a position I and many others believed would be a position of strength and depth for Green Bay in 2022 but sporting one of the NFL’s worst run defenses proved that prediction entirely wrong. Defensive line is absolutely a position Green Bay could use help at.
Strengths
- Versatility
- Strength
- Athleticism
- Recognition
White played as both a 3-4 defensive end and outside pass rusher at Georgia Tech. His skillset would fit Joe Barry’s scheme well. Several of his reps showcase his power, allowing him to push back lineman and disrupt the play in the backfield. If White is caught in coverage, he’s able to make up for a lack of technique with raw athleticism and can keep up with some running backs and tight ends.
White is quick to diagnose play-action and typically makes the right reads on RPO type plays. This allows him to disrupt plays before they can develop. Generally, White utilizes his great athleticism to overmatch opponents.
Weaknesses
- Poor/lack of technique
- Explosiveness
- Late hands
- Inconsistent
White’s reliance on his athleticism can sometimes expose his lack of proper technique. His pass rush moves are sloppy and slow. He lacks elite explosiveness, and this combined with slow hands and a lack of technical moves can often cause White to be held up at the line.
Though White can execute a good move and make a great play here and there, he is wildly inconsistent. He often is making a play or being completely removed from one.
Overall
White is not a first-round prospect. Honestly, he’s a relatively uninteresting player to me. He profiles as a solid rotational starter in the NFL. I think it might be a reach if Green Bay were to select him with one of their two early 2nd round picks. He is athletically gifted and has enough experience where it is hard to see him becoming an outright bust, but just as difficult to see him developing into an above-average starter.
Grade: C
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Liam O’Donnell is a devoted Packers fan and an aspiring sportswriter from Milwaukee. He writes for PackersTalk.com and you can follow him on twitter at @liamodonnell___.
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