The second-round rookie has appeared in 13 of 14 games so far.

The New England Patriots’ rookie class has been a mixed bag so far this season, but there have been quite a few encouraging individual moments along the way. Several of those belong to the team’s second-round draft choice, defensive lineman Keion White.

White joined the Patriots as the 46th selection this spring, despite having played just 28 games as a defender between his tenures at Old Dominion and Georgia Tech. The former tight end, who moved to the defensive line in the spring of 2019, had still shown enough in college to enter the NFL as a highly-regarded prospect.

It did not take him long to show why: White’s impressive natural athleticism, relentless motor, and natural feel for how to attack blockers in front of him were evident from Day 1, if in a more reserved fashion early on.

However, his combination of skills allows him to generate pressure regardless of the alignment he is playing from and the situation he is used in. Just ask two-time first-team All-Pro Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles, who had to go up against White in the season opener.

White registered four quarterback pressures on 13 pass rush attempts in his NFL debut against the Eagles. Statistically speaking, that game was his most disruptive of the season.

But while he did not stay on the trajectory established in early September — he currently is credited with 17 quarterback pressures, including one sack — he still proved himself a promising player both against the pass and the run. One of his biggest disadvantages at this stage in his career is simply a lack of experience.

With the first 14 games of the season now in the books, however, he naturally finds himself in a better place in that regard than he was earlier in the year. According to his position coach, DeMarcus Covington, this has helped him grow consistently.

“I think rookies and especially a guy like him, who really hasn’t been playing the position for that long, is able to value to experience of being out there week-to-week for us,” Covington told reporters this week. “He’s done a really good job of the snaps that he’s given, and taking advantage of those opportunities. And for him, I think he’s going to grow each year, each week, just like he’s been. Smart dude, tough dude, and he rarely makes mistakes twice.”

In total, White has been on the field for 397 defensive snaps this season, a playing time share of 42.4 percent. He mostly has been used in a rotational capacity as both an edge defender helping to replace injured Pro Bowler Matthew Judon, or inside as more of a traditional end in the mold of Deatrich Wise Jr.

His positional flexibility has allowed White to carve out regular playing time, even though he does not fall into the traditional “starter” category like veterans Judon and Wise Jr. do. Nonetheless, Covington believes the youngster is making the most of his time on the field.

“Every play is a learning play for him, which is good,” the assistant coach said. “So, the more snaps he gets out there on the field, the more learning opportunity he gets in return. We can all learn from every play — good, bad. You can see where he’s able to play faster each week with the more reps that he’s getting throughout the season.”

This has led to some steady if not always linear growth, both in the passing and the running game.

At this stage in his career, White is still a developmental player who has just started scratching the surface of his potential. He is, after all, only in his fourth season since making the move from tight end to defensive lineman. He also is still a rookie in the NFL, even if a highly-drafted one.

That said, the early results have looked good and his performance both in-game and on the practice fields have allowed White to play himself into the rotation. And if what he has shown so far is any indication, the future therefore appears to be a bright one for him.