Keion White

1 sack as a NE rookie, then 5 sacks and 16 QB hits in year 2 — the biggest second-year sack leap among his 2023 2nd-round DL peers.

The arc starts quiet — 1 sack in 12 rookie games in 2023. Then a true second-year eruption in 2024: 5 sacks, 16 QB hits, 7 TFL in 16 games, the biggest sack jump (+4.0 sacks) among the 2023 second-round DL class. After a quiet 5-game stretch in NE to open 2025, he was dealt to San Francisco, where he added 1.5 sacks and 6 QB hits in 8 regular-season games before helping SF reach the playoffs.

Why it matters. A year-2 sack leap of that magnitude — tripling the sack total from his draft class peers — is the clearest signal that a young pass rusher has moved from project to rotation piece. White's 2024 validated the draft capital spent on him.

16 QB hits in 2024 — 6th among all 2023-drafted DL, tied with 1st-round pick Jalen Carter.

His 2024 second-year line — 5 sacks, 16 QB hits, 7 TFL across 16 games — put him in elite company in his draft class. White's 16 QB hits ranked 6th among all 2023-drafted defensive linemen, putting him on par with Jalen Carter (pick 9, first round) despite being a second-round pick (pick 46).

The 7 TFL was the most of any 2023 second-round DL in 2024, ahead of Gervon Dexter (4) and Keeanu Benton (2).

Why it matters. Outpacing first-round peers in QB hits and leading all 2nd-round DL classmates in TFL proved White's 2024 was a genuine breakout, not a fluke — the kind of cross-draft-class validation that justifies mid-season trade value.

Patriot White vs 49er White: 0 QB hits in 5 NE games, then 6 QB hits in 8 SF regular-season games at a 0.75/game rate.

The 2025 NE stretch was empty — 0 QB hits across 5 games in weeks 1–7. After the trade to San Francisco, he produced 1.5 sacks, 6 QB hits, and 2 TFL in 8 regular-season games — a 0.75 QB-hits-per-game rate, second-highest among SF DL with 5+ games played (behind only Bryce Huff at 1.15/game).

Why it matters. The night-and-day split between his NE and SF 2025 stints — zero production in the same system he struggled in, then immediate pop in a new scheme — is exactly the kind of scheme-fit evidence SF scouts counted on when giving up draft capital mid-season.

27 QB hits in 41 regular-season games — a 0.66/game career rate that leads all 2023 second-round DL.

Across his three pro seasons (regular season only): 7.5 sacks, 27 QB hits, 13 TFL, 9 pass defenses in 41 games. The career 0.66 QB-hits-per-game rate is the highest among 2023 second-round defensive linemen (Benton: 0.58/game on 29 QB hits, Dexter: 0.51/game on 43 hits).

The per-game efficiency improved steadily: 0.42 QBH/G as a rookie → 1.0/G in his 2024 breakout → 0.75/G at SF in 2025.

Why it matters. QB hit rate is the best scheme-neutral measure of a pass rusher's ability to disrupt the pocket regardless of whether sacks come; White's career 0.66/game rate reflects consistent disruption across two teams and three seasons.

7 TFL in 2024 — the most of any 2023 second-round DL, ahead of first-round peers like Bryan Bresee.

White's 2024 line of 7 TFL led all 2023 second-round DL — and matched first-round picks Bryan Bresee (7 TFL, pick 29) and Tyree Wilson (6 TFL, pick 7). TFL is the full-package metric: it requires winning the point of attack, not just looping free. His 7 TFL shows he was productive against the run and the pass.

Why it matters. TFL is a harder metric to pad than QB hits — it requires functional strength and technique against multiple play types. White leading all 2023 2nd-round DL in TFL while also posting top-5 QB hits in his draft class makes him the most complete disruptor in that tier.

Traded mid-2025 from NE to SF after week 7 — and immediately became SF's #2 pass rusher by QB hit rate.

White was dealt to San Francisco after week 7 of 2025. In his first 8 regular-season games wearing 49ers gear (#56), he posted 6 QB hits and 1.5 sacks — the second-highest QB-hit rate (0.75/game) on the SF DL rotation, behind only Bryce Huff (1.15/game). The production came without a long acclimation window, suggesting a genuine scheme fit in Kyle Shanahan's defense.

Why it matters. Fitting immediately into SF's pass-rush hierarchy — finishing behind only their premier edge rusher by hit rate — validates the mid-season trade investment and signals White as a long-term fixture in their interior rotation.