Patriots Sign Second-Round DE Gabe Jacas, Wrap Up Draft Class

July 25, 2026

Jordan Schultz reports that the Patriots have signed second-round DE Gabe Jacas to a rookie deal.

Jacas is the final New England draft pick under contract. Here’s a final look at the Patriots’ 2026 draft class:

Rd	Pick	Player	Pos.	Note
1	28	Caleb Lomu	T	Signed
2	55	Gabe Jacas	DE	Signed
3	95	Eli Raridon	TE	Signed
5	171	Karon Prunty	CB	Signed
6	196	Dametrious Crownover	T	Signed
6	212	Namdi Obiazor	LB	Signed
7	234	Behren Morton	QB	Signed
7	245	Jam Miller	RB	Signed
7	247	Quintayvious Hutchins	DE	Signed

Last month, reports indicated that medical questions could be holding up a deal between the Patriots and Jacas. The Patriots have been sparse with details, but Mike Reiss confirmed Jacas had a “clean-up” knee procedure and has been recovering from it. It kept him sidelined during rookie minicamp. However, Jacas has not been with the team since May.

When asked if Jacas is healthy enough to practice, Vrabel responded: “I can only go by what (Jacas) says. And so when he gets here, we’ll evaluate that. Of course, we’ll be as smart as we can just to see (where he is) because we haven’t seen him with us. But I would say that — I’d use the words cautiously optimistic. But again, those conversations have been great, and (I’m) excited to see where he’s at.”

Vrabel wouldn’t put a timeline on Jacas’ return, but mentioned that he’s spoken to the rookie recently.

“Well, (we’re) continuing to work through the contract, I think that those have been positive (talks), obviously between the club and his representative,” Vrabel said. “And hopefully we’ll get him in here sooner rather than later. (I’m) not going to put a timeline on it or a timeframe, but I’ve spoken to Gabe personally, and (I’m) excited to get him in when he’s under contract.”

One high-ranking NFL executive hypothesized to Reiss that the Patriots are seeking a level of financial protection in the contract based on the medical procedure, which would explain the holdup.

Jacas, 21, was a three-star recruit and the 75th-ranked edge rusher in the 2022 recruiting class out of Port St. Lucie, Florida. He committed to Illinois and remained there for four years, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors in 2025.

The Patriots used the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 draft on Jacas. He’s projected to sign a four-year, $8.657 million rookie contract that includes a $2.756 million signing bonus.

In his collegiate career, Jacas appeared in 50 games over four years at Illinois and recorded 183 total tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 27 sacks, two passes defended, one fumble recovery and seven forced fumbles.