FOXBORO — Back in May, Jerod Mayo singled out Keion White as a Patriots player who’d taken a step forward during the offseason.

White, a second-year edge rusher who flashed potential but lacked consistency as a rookie last season, was asked Thursday what it meant to hear a compliment like that from his head coach.

His answer: not much.

“I really don’t pay attention to that,” said White, New England’s second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. “I’ve still got to come out here every day and do my job and work to get better, because at the end of the day, I still feel like I have a bad taste in my mouth for what we did last season, and can’t nothing change until we prove it this year.”

White appeared in 16 games during the Patriots’ miserable 2023 campaign, with his playing time and production steadily increasing as the season progressed. Eighteen of his 26 tackles, two of his three pass breakups and all five of his quarterback hits came in the final seven weeks.

As he makes the jump to Year 2 — a crucial development period for young NFL players — White said he’s worked to improve the mental aspect of his game: anticipation, slowing the game down, reading offensive keys, etc.

“I’m still in the position, personally, that I feel like I’m still trying to earn my spot and just earn my stripes,” the 25-year-old said. “I may be older coming into Year 2, but I’m still only going into Year 2. So I still feel like I need to prove myself to not only my teammates, but the league.”

Related Articles

How Stephon Gilmore is helping Christian Gonzalez become a Patriots star

Patriots extra points: Move back to guard surprising for Mike Onwenu

Kyle Shanahan says Bill Belichick turned down an offer to join the 49ers staff

Patriots training camp Day 1: Drake Maye launches long TD, starting wide receiver sits late

Why Patriots extension was ‘relief’ for Rhamondre Stevenson

White also said he’s trying to earn a “green light to mess up,” meaning the coaches trust him to try out different pass-rush techniques and correct his own mistakes. He registered just one sack last season and ranked sixth on the team with 20 pressures, per Pro Football Focus.

It’s unclear exactly how new defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington plans to deploy White this season, but he’ll likely line up in multiple spots depending on the situation. He saw action as a stand-up edge rusher, hand-in-the-dirt D-end and interior defender in 2023.

“(Skill development coach) Joe Kim says all the time, ‘The more you can do, the longer they’ve got to keep you,’” White said. “So I’m just trying to play as much as possible, as many positions as possible so I can just be here as long as I can.”