Pats Pulpit
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.
Heading toward training camp, Jacas therefore is arguably the biggest unknown along the Patriots’ defensive front.
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
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.
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.
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.
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...
