Leading up to the NFL Draft, one position was highlighted above all others when it came to New England Patriots needs: the defensive edge. And while they did not address it in the first round, courtesy of picking offensive tackle Caleb Lomu at No. 28 overall, they did go after a promising young player in Round 2.
Following a trade-up with the Chargers, the Patriots selected Gabe Jacas as the 55th overall pick in the draft. But while there was some optimism at the time, the 22-year-old has yet to take the practice fields in any meaningful manner or indeed sign his rookie contract.
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Heading toward training camp, Jacas therefore is arguably the biggest unknown along the Patriots’ defensive front.
Hard facts
Name: Gabe Jacas
Position: Defensive edge/Outside linebacker
Jersey number: 50
Opening day age: 22 (5/27/2004)
Measurements: 6’3 5/8”, 261 lbs, 10” hand size, 33” arm length, 78 7/8” wingspan, 4.69s 40-yard dash, 30 bench press reps, N/A Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: New England Patriots (2026-) | College: Illinois (2022-25)
A three-star edge recruit as well as a state champion and all-state wrestler out of Fort Pierce, FL, Central, Jacas originally committed to Tulane while still in high school. However, he eventually changed course and decided to join the University of Illinois in December 2021. As a true freshman Jacas went on to play in all 13 of the Illini’s games (8 starts) and record five tackles for loss and four sacks as he earned All-Big Ten honorable mention and was named the school’s Rookie of the Year.
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After posting four sacks again his sophomore season, Jacas’ production started to take off. As a junior, he tied for the Big Ten lead in forced fumbles (3) and ranked fifth in sacks (8) during the regular season en route to earning third-team all-conference honors. Jacas then had a career year as a senior and led the conference with 11 sacks — sixth most in the nation.
Following his 2025 campaign, Jacas declared for the NFL Draft. He accepted his invites to both the NFL Combine and Senior Bowl, setting himself up to get selected 55th overall by the Patriots in the second round.
Scouting report
Strengths: As his 260-pound build and 30 bench press reps at the Combine show, Jacas is a powerful player off the edge. His pass rush plan is built off that strength as the bull rush was his go-to move while his background as a wrestler shows in his hand usage. Jacas plays with a high level of violence and has a great motor, and he’s not afraid to take on blocks in the run game. He also has made several plays due to hustle late in dropbacks. He also took on a leadership role at Illinois, and was named a captain in 2025.
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Weaknesses: While his 1.59-second 10-yard split at his Pro Day was an elite number at 260 pounds, Jacas does not always seem to play with that first-step explosiveness on film. He can be a bit stiff at times and could benefit from further development of his pass rush plan. Jacas often ran hot-and-cold and didn’t always produce against top competition. And while he has the build and mentality to make plays in the run game his awareness must improve.
2025 review
Stats: 12 games (12 starts) | 529 defensive snaps, 44 special teams snaps | 43 tackles, 7 missed tackles (14.0%), 13.5 TFLs, 3 FFs | 40 QB pressures (11 sacks, 7 hits, 22 hurries) | 4 targets, 3 catches surrendered (75.0%), 22 yards, 1 TD, 1 PBU | 2 penalties (incl. 0 declined/offsetting)
Season recap: Despite already posting some good numbers his first two seasons in Champaign, Jacas took a big step forward as a junior in 2024. However, the third-team All-Big Ten selection nonetheless decided to stay in school for another year to further refine his craft and by extension bolster his draft stock. Needless to say, he managed to do that.
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Jacas’ fourth season as an Illini was his best to date and the natural next step in his progression. Named a captain before the season — his first time earning the honor — he was his team’s most impactful and disruptive defender.
The senior finished the year with 11 sacks in 12 games before opting out of the Music City Bowl, ranking first in the conference and leading his school by quite a significant margin: none of his teammates managed to get more than two sacks on the year. Jacas additionally ranked first on the team in quarterback pressures (40), tackles for loss (13.5) and forced fumbles (3).
His exploits earned him second-team All-Big Ten recognition after the season and helped him establish himself as one of the top edges in the draft; while not a top-tier prospect, he found himself in a deep second tier of players. Unfortunately, however, his pre-draft process was disrupted by a hamstring injury as well as a left knee ailment that required what has been described as a clean-up procedure.
While those issues negatively impacted his availability after the draft, his final year in school put a fitting end to what was overall a strong college career.
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2026 preview
Position: Outside linebacker | Ability: Depth player/Role player | Contract: Unsigned draft pick
What will be his role? Under normal circumstances, Jacas’ mentality and size coming off a highly productive college career would likely allow him to see the NFL field in a rotational role right out the gate; that would mean him joining the duo of Harold Landry and Dre’Mont Jones atop the edge depth chart. However, his absence from practice all spring — he was present as a spectator during rookie minicamp but has been a no-show ever since —puts him in a challenging spot. Unless he can take the field quickly and get up to speed in a hurry, it would not be a surprise if his eventual role ended up less impactful than one would initially have thought.
What is his growth potential? Jacas brings a combination of size and speed to the NFL, as well as a track record of production. That said, he must continue to develop his overall consistency in terms of both his rush plan and his production in the run game. If he can do so, he has the potential to become an every-down edge rusher quite early into his rookie pact.
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Does he have positional versatility? Jacas was primarily an outside-the-tackles rusher at Illinois, mostly operating from a two-point stance. However, the Fighting Illini also featured three-down fronts which led to him rushing head-on or even shaded on the inside. He will likely see similar usage at the next level while also possibly reprising the field goal block role he held over his four-year stint in college.
What is his salary cap situation? At the moment, nothing. Jacas remains the lone second-round draft choice unsigned, although there still is time to do so before he would miss any training camp reps. July 21 is a key date to watch in that regard: the Patriots’ rookie class will report to camp that day. Once he eventually signs his four-year pact — and it is indeed a question of when not if — it will come with an approximate 2026 cap impact of $1.59 million. That number will consist of a base salary ($885k) and signing bonus proration ($701k) that will both be fully guaranteed.
How safe is his roster spot? Given his potential and the investment the Patriots made in him, Jacas is a lock to make the Patriots’ roster this year. Obviously, he will have to sign his rookie pact first, but once he does he will be on full track to the 53-man team — if medically cleared, that is.
Summary: Jacas’ first offseason workout program in the NFL did not go according to plan, and his position coach, Mike Smith, admitted that he “does [need to catch up] a little bit.” What this catching-up will look like has to be seen, something that is also true for his eventual role and impact. At the end of the day, however, he does have NFL-caliber traits and should find a way to contribute this season. Talent typically rises to the top.
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What do you think about Gabe Jacas heading into the 2026 season? Will he make up for the time he missed? What will his impact eventually look like? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
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