Patriots draft Illinois DE Gabe Jacas after trading up in Round 2

The Patriots packaged three picks on Friday night to trade up and draft Jacas.

Illinois defensive end Gabe Jacas during a game against Washington in Oct. 2025. AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

The New England Patriots bolstered their pass-rushing corps on Friday night — drafting Illinois defensive end Gabe Jacas in the second round (No. 55 overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Patriots traded up in the second round to select Jacas — sending picks No. 63, No. 131, and No. 202 to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for that 55th pick.

Jacas, 21, is coming off a strong season as a team captain with Illinois, leading the Big Ten with 11 sacks while forcing three fumbles in 12 games. He added 43 tackles, 13.5 of which were tackles-for-loss.

A four-year starter with the Fighting Illini, Jacas projects as the type of high-motor, physical player that Mike Vrabel and the Patriots have coveted on the defensive side of the ball.

The 6-4, 260-pounder might start off his career as a rotational edge rusher, but Jacas has the frame to grow and develop into a three-down stalwart in due time.

NFL.com’s draft profile of Jacas tabbed his NFL comparison as former Patriots standout pass-rusher Matthew Judon.

A former state champion wrestler in Florida, Jacas addresses an immediate need for the Patriots, who only recorded 35 sacks during the 2025 regular season. Only six NFL clubs recorded fewer sacks last year than New England.

Even with New England signing Dre’Mont Jones in free agency, the Patriots need all the pass-rushing support they can get — especially after K’Lavon Chaisson left in free agency.

Speaking earlier this month, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf acknowledged that upgrading the edge position was one of the priorities for New England in this draft.

“Yeah, we could complement our room with some speed. I think I think that’s evident,” Wolf said. “Dre’Mont and Harold [Landry] and Elijah [Ponder] and some of the other guys we have, they all have their skill sets. We would like to get faster.

“You know, Dre’Mont’s a guy that can play across the line, run games. I mean, he can sneakily beat you with speed, but that’s probably not his bread and butter. And that’s an area that we’re looking, again, looking to try to improve the depth on the roster.”

The Patriots are next on the clock in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 95th pick.

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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