""It was clear White fell out of favor in New England," Walder wrote in his recap of the reported deal. "He was buried on a strong depth chart, with Harold Landry III and K'Lavon Chaisson having nice seasons on the edge and Milton Williams and Christian Barmore playing well inside. "But considering that the 6-2 Patriots should be harboring deep playoff expectations," he added, "the compensation they received does not make up for the loss in depth. Should injuries strike, they might wish they had White back.""
""Maybe the picks New England gained in the trades for White and Dugger will be used to land a notable edge rusher before next week's trade deadline," Manzano speculated. "If they don't, the Patriots will at least have more draft picks to continue adding players that align with their coaching philosophy.""
The Patriots traded defensive end Keion White to the 49ers for a sixth- and seventh-round pick in 2026 and also dealt safety Kyle Dugger. White had five sacks in 2024 but had a reduced role this season, including being a healthy scratch. ESPN analyst Seth Walder graded the deal a C-, citing that White fell out of favor and that the compensation does not make up for lost depth given playoff expectations. Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano gave a B, noting rebuilt defensive-line depth and the possibility of using picks to add an edge rusher or players aligned with coaching philosophy.
Read at Boston.com
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