The Gabe Jacas hype train had already left the station in Foxboro, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon after the New England Patriots announced the jersey numbers for their 2026 rookie class on Tuesday.
The No. 50 has had a great run in Patriots history. It was worn by current head coach Mike Vrabel from 2001 to 2008 — a stretch that included four Super Bowl berths, three championships, and a 16-0 regular season — and was taken over by Rob Ninkovich from 2009 to 2016.
That magic ran out over the past decade, however. Four Patriots players have worn the No. 50 since Ninkovich moved on from the team, with Chase Winovich (2019-21) and Raekwon McMillan (2022-24) being the most recent.
No one wore Vrabel’s old number during his first year as head coach in 2025, and that will change this year after the team assigned Jacas the No. 50 on Tuesday.
As Patriots reporter Evan Lazar put it, Jacas is a “textbook Vrabel type of player." Fans were quick to flood the comments section of his tweet to weigh in on one of the team’s most hyped-up Day 2 draft picks in recent memory.
Gabe Jacas, a textbook Vrabel type of player, takes the #Patriots HC’s old number. https://t.co/pRHVNXB40S
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) May 5, 2026
Gabe Jacas wearing No. 50 speaks volumes about his potential role
Vrabel left his mark as one of the most versatile and all-around productive players in franchise history, with Bill Belichick splitting his reps almost evenly between a traditional outside pass rusher and interior box linebacker. He also played tight end in New England’s goal line package on offense and became a favorite target of quarterback Tom Brady; Vrabel famously had 10 career receptions with the Patriots — and all 10 of them were touchdown passes from Brady, including two Super Bowl scores.
With Jacas, it’s easy to see the comparisons. While he mostly lined up on the outside in a two-point stance in Illinois' defense, he moved inside on occasion. As a two-time state champion wrestler in high school, he has the kind of diverse skill set to develop into a Vrabel-type role for the Patriots’ defense.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss recently quoted former Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry on Jacas’ untapped versatility:
"Gabe is best when he's going forward,” Henry said, per Reiss. “From the time he was a freshman, to the time he was a senior, the more we were able to send him forward the more productive he was. … He has very heavy hands. When he grabs you and gets a hold of you, you're going for a ride."
The Patriots could have to ride Jacas’ tantalizing talents in 2026 after leaving their edge depth thin in free agency. Aside from replacing K’Lavon Chaisson with veteran Dre’Mont Jones — another extremely versatile pass rusher with the ability to line up as an interior defensive lineman — New England entered this year’s draft with little in reserve outside of Elijah Ponder and 2025 fifth-rounder Bradyn Swinson.
Jacas has a chance to lift that group to another level, and with the No. 50 on his back, fans should be expecting nothing less from a prospect their head coach clearly trusts.
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