New England Patriots zeroing in on WKU QB Mike White
The New England Patriots are in need of a quarterback of the future, and they could very well be keying in on Western Kentucky’s Mike White…
The New England Patriots are in the market for a quarterback in this year’s draft, but don’t bet all your money on them trading up in the first round to select one of the ‘top’ prospect in this year’s class.
This quarterback class has excellent depth, and one player in particular who has piqued the Patriots’ interest. As a matter of fact, I would say he’s done a little bit more than that.
The Patriots have sent at least one very important executive in their organization to put White through a workout, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:
Draft news: Western Kentucky QB Mike White spent yesterday visiting with the #Colts, and he’s also had plenty of workouts (the #Patriots sent Nick Caserio, for instance). … Meanwhile, #LSU’s Arden Key is working out for the #49ers today, then he flies to the #Raiders tomorrow.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 11, 2018
White could very well be the perfect fit for the Patriots. Physically, he profiles quite similarly to Tom Brady. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, White ran 5.09 second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine, so he’s not breaking any speed records at the position.
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Again, all of those traits are similar to those of Brady’s.
White had somewhat of a down year in 2017 after some of the most talented teammates he had at Western Kentucky left for the NFL, including his blindside protector Forrest Lamp and top receiver Taywan Taylor.
Despite what many think, White also has experience in pro-style offenses and understands those concepts very well. I was impressed at how quickly he adapted with the Texans’ staff at the Senior Bowl, and that may have been one of the reasons the Patriots decided to dig further on this player.
If he can adapt that quickly with Bill O’Brien, a Patriots coaching disciple, then he can probably pick up Josh McDaniels’ system with no issues.
White’s arm strength and deep ball accuracy may be his most impressive traits, but his consistency in short-area accuracy is what will make him money in the NFL.
I think not only does he have the chance to be a starter, he has a chance to be a really productive starter in the right system and the Patriots could get the very best out of him. Look out for this pairing on day two of the draft.