The San Francisco 49ers have acquired the New England Patriots’ 2023 second-round NFL Draft selection, defensive end Keion White. The 49ers also acquire the Patriots 2026 seventh-round pick, while they’ll send their 2026 sixth-round selection back to New England in return.
White has been a productive player in his two and a half NFL seasons, posting his best campaign in 2024 when he started 13 games for the Patriots and registered five sacks. He also had 56 tackles, 16 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
As New England transitioned to the Mike Vrabel era this season, White’s playing time has declined. He’s made just one start this season and only has six tackles. It’s a good move by the 49ers to find a distressed asset and grab him for a minimal price tag.
With the amount of injuries that have piled up for San Francisco this season, White is a great addition to their depth on the defensive line. At just 26-years-old, White is still very much in his prime, and a change of scenery could work wonders for him. He was a second-round pick after all and the talent speaks for itself.
Injuries Won’t Stop Piling in San Francisco
A disheartening 26-15 loss to the Houston Texans was made even more sour as the 49ers lost three more players to injury in Dee Winters, Jordan Elliott, and Sam Okuayinonu. Christian McCaffrey delivered a blunt message after the loss.
âItâs the NFL and everybody has a jersey for a reason, and everybodyâs on the team for a reason,â McCaffrey said postgame. âThey can help us win football games. Obviously, it sucks losing guysâjust transparently. You never want to lose anyone, especially core players, but itâs a next-man-up mentality. When that happens, you have to be really detailed.â
Trades and signings like the White acquisition and the signing of offensive lineman Andre Dillard are beginning to become commonplace as the San Francisco front office attempts to provide more depth so that the team can continue to adopt the next-man-up mentality.
Though the initial week nine injury report hasn’t been released yet, the week eight report had 16 players listed on it.
49ers Look to Improve to 6-3 Against Giants in Week Nine
With a record of 3-3 in their last six games, San Francisco is looking to regain some consistency despite their injured nature. They’ll have a great opportunity to get back in the win column this week as they take on the equally injured New York Giants on the road.
The Giants obviously lost a spark plug in Cam Skattebo last week as his ankle was mangled as he attempted to catch a ball over the middle. New York’s secondary is also banged up, as Paulson Adebo, Cor’Dale Flott, Jevon Holland are all trending towards not playing this week with varying injuries.
With two banged up teams, the Niners are still favored by two and a half points as they head to Met Life Stadium. New York will be fighting for any chance to remain relevant, as a loss would bring them to 2-7 and come pretty close to being the final nail in the coffin for their 2025 season.
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