Jacas can talk about pass rush all day apparently.
It's hard to say who the favorite was among the Patriots' selections from last weekend's NFL draft, but there is an argument to be made that it's Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas.
Jacas is a Port St. Lucie, Florida, native who, aside from football, became a high school state wrestling champion. A tactic that he implemented into his work as an edge rusher on the field, and it's paid off well.
The Patriots found their guy in Jacas, taking him in the second round, 55th overall. His bull-rush mentality and out-of-this-world work ethic had made him a prime candidate for the Patriots, who were in dire need of an edge rusher this offseason.
The Patriots drafted him for the future of their defense going forward.
As we are now a week removed from the NFL draft, some buzz has been generated around Jacas as he gears up for a shot at making the team's active roster this summer. It seems the buzz around the former Illinois edge rusher is very positive.
For starters, the Patriots Roundtable Podcast picked him as the best pick of the draft on this week's episode.
However, as reports are coming in from Foxborough about the new draft class, the word "ecstatic" is being thrown around when talking about Jacas.
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald writes, "That's why Patriots coaches, who spent a day with the 21-year-old pass rusher on a pre-draft visit, were 'ecstatic' when the team's front office traded up to select the four-year Illinois starter in the second round."
Apparently, Jacas is consumed by the concept of pass rush and could talk about it almost all day, Kyed writes. The full article is available to read right now.
Although there were many edge rushers in the Patriots' orbit, as the team was very much in the hunt for one this offseason, it would be unfair to call him overlooked in the draft.
Jacas was a team captain in 2025 at Illinois and led the Big Ten with 11 sacks.
In total, his collegiate career saw him play in 50 games, 35.5 TFL, 27 sacks, and 7 forced fumbles.
There are indeed many reasons to be "ecstatic" about his arrival in Foxborough.
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