The New England Patriots’ offseason program is in the books. Mandatory minicamp came and went last week, allowing media the opportunity to get a look at what this team might look like in 2025 as Mike Vrabel begins his tenure as head coach.
As we get a sense at how certain positions might look, let’s take a look at three underrated sleepers on the Patriots’ roster who could break out in 2025.
DE Keion White
White seems like the most obvious player to be a potential breakout candidate in 2025. As the Patriots are set to move to a 4-3 defensive front, White’s 6-foot-5, 290-pound frame could lend him extra playing time as he has the size to play on the inside and outside. He’ll likely be a strong-side edge rusher, but it’s hard not to envision New England not using him on the inside as well at times.
White’s shown promise through the first two years of his career as well, but he hasn’t fully translated that into production. He actually got off to a good start in 2024, recording four sacks in the first two games before only posting one sack for the rest of the year. However, he had 45 pressures, a fair number for a defensive lineman without much help around him.
Vrabel also seems to be a fan of White, too.
“Excited to work with Keion White and continue to work on his technique,” Vrabel told Chris Long on the ‘Green Light’ podcast when asked who could most be like Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in March. “He’s such a talented athlete with size that if we can continue to refine some of his technique, that really is going to help him with how technical the position can be.”
White pushing 10 sacks or racking up pressures certainly seems in play.
Edge K’Lavon Chaisson
Let’s double-dip along the defensive line. The Patriots signed Chaisson to a one-year, $5 million deal back in March — a relatively minor investment considering how much New England spent this offseason. But there might be some reason to think that signing could end up being a strong value addition for the Patriots in 2025.
I was pleasantly surprised by Edge K'Lavon Chaisson's Raiders film!! pic.twitter.com/r6wAMnSklJ
— Erik Turner Cover 1 (@ErikJTurner) February 12, 2025
Chaisson hasn’t fully lived up to his billing as a first-round pick, recording just five sacks in his first four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, he matched that total as a situational pass rusher with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024, recording five sacks and 32 total tackles. What’s promising about the season he had, though, is that he had a 12.8 percent pass-rush win rate, which was slightly higher than Maxx Crosby for the team high.
Obviously, that doesn’t mean that Chaisson is a better pass rusher than Crosby. But it shows that his season wasn’t a fluke. He should fit in well as a situational pass rusher for the Patriots in 2025, which could allow him to have strong sack and pressure numbers at the end of the season.
WR Kyle Williams
Picking a rookie might be cheating, but Williams’ status as a third-round pick would make it a surprise to many if he had a big year in 2025. So, he should be in play here.
Kyle Williams SZN is officially HERE 🔥
➖Drafted 3.05 to NE✅
➖4.40 40-yard dash (92nd percentile)🚀
➖19.1 Breakout age (86th)👶
➖37.9 Dominator Rating (78th)⚔️Could Williams lead all rookies in receiving yards this year? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/unZyekTROt
— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) May 4, 2025
Anyway, Williams seemed to turn into the scouting community’s darling at wide receiver late in the draft process. Not many college receivers were better at making big plays than Williams this past season. He had 70 receptions for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns, with his 17.1 yards per reception being tied for 17th among receivers who had at least 75 targets.
Williams can also play on the inside and outside, which is really valuable for Josh McDaniels’ system. And while there are a lot receivers battling for roster spots in Foxborough (12, to be exact), there aren’t many top-end guys, allowing Williams the opportunity to get lots of targets.
