Patriots 'Athletic Marvel' Hit With NFL Drug Test Following Week 1 Breakout
By Saloni
One of the neglected components of the Patriots' unexpected but convincing—defensively, at least
win against the Bengals on Sunday in Week 1 was the possibility of a breakthrough star on the roster. No, it isn't running back Rhamondre Stevenson or tight end Austin Hooper. Edge rusher Keion White,
the 2023 second-round pick who piled up 2.5 sacks and forced a turnover, demonstrates the team's ability to pressure the quarterback even without Matthew Judon.
White received an overall defensive grade of 90.3 from Pro Football Focus in Week 1, placing him seventh among 103 qualifying edge rushers in the NFL.
A performance like that, coming off a season in which he had only one sack in 16 games, will always draw the attention of the league office. As a result, following Sunday's game, White received the NFL's equivalent of a game ball—a "random" drug test.
In his Instagram story, White tweeted a photo of the letter from the league, which read, "You have been selected by the NFL drug-testing program's Independent Administrator to complete a performance-enhancing substances test today."The Patriots traded Matthew Judon last month.
It was a positive indication for the Patriots, who have a great defense but are riddled with problems up front following Judon's preseason trade to the Falcons for a third-round choice.
The situation with 2023 Patriots sack leader Christian Barmore, who was diagnosed with blood clots and whose return is uncertain, has only raised worries about the bunch up front.