The 49ers traded with the New England Patriots for defensive end Keion White on Tuesday to help fill the edge-rushing void following All-Pro Nick Bosa’s season-ending ACL injury.
Coach Kyle Shanahan shared his expectations for White’s fit with San Francisco when speaking to reporters at 49ers practice on Wednesday in Santa Clara.
“I mean, we need D-linemen with all our guys injured,” Shanahan said. “Regardless, [White] would have helped any team. I thought he was a problem when we played against him last year. Really liked what he does on film, too. He can play D-end, and he can rush inside.
“So, versatile guy.”
White impressed Shanahan after collecting three tackles and a quarterback hit while playing 84 percent of snaps in his old Patriots’ 30-13 loss in the Bay a season ago.
Plus, acquiring White was a low-risk move for the 49ers’ front office, as San Francisco sent New England just a 2026 sixth-round NFL draft pick in exchange for the defensive lineman and a 2026 seventh-rounder.
White, a three-year veteran, has collected 88 tackles and six sacks over 38 games — including 18 starts. But he has appeared in just 40 percent of possible snaps for the Patriots in 2025.
Shanahan and the 49ers are betting on White to produce and hopefully return to his 2024 form. Over 17 games last year, he started 13 times and collected 56 tackles, five quarterback hits and seven tackles for loss. White also appeared in 74 percent of possible snaps.
How White will fare with defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and the 49ers is unknown. However, as Shanahan explained, San Francisco needed able bodies, and White is exactly that — and ideally more.