The New England Patriots needed to address two team deficiencies that cost them their seventh Lombardi trophy in Super Bowl LX. In that game, the team was outsacked 6-1. That statistic, accompanied by three related offensive turnovers, sealed the deal for Seattle.
The needs were crystal clear: prevent sacks by strengthening the offensive line and produce more play-ending sacks from the defensive edge.
The team picked at No. 31 in the draft because of their Super Bowl. Yet, to remedy those two deficiencies, they weren't reluctant to use their two fourth-round picks to trade up to get the right players.
In the first round, they took the best remaining offensive tackle, Caleb Lomu from Utah. In the second round, they again traded up and landed a sack-producer in Illinois' Gabe Jacas.
Patriots.com's Mike Dussault thinks second-round draft pick Gabe Jacas fits the team like a glove.
In the NFL, statistics such as quarterback hits and pressures are tracked, and players are evaluated to some extent based on them. The problem is that while those stats impact plays, they don't end them. It's finishing plays that really make all the difference, as the disparity between the Patriots' dismal and Seattle's brilliant finishing demonstrated on the biggest of stages.
The Patriots traded up for Gabe Jacas because he's a finisher who delivers sacks.
Gabe Jacas is a defensive difference-maker for the Patriots' defense
Trading your second-round draft pick and a fourth-round pick to move up is a significant draft investment in a player. In this case, the Patriots got the two most important draft considerations exactly right. First, they drafted for need, an edge.
Then, they took the consensus top player at that position, one they obviously felt was the best available at that need at the time. It's a formula that breeds success if you stick with it.
Why Jacas fit the bill for the Patriots was noted by Mike Dussault, who, along with Jacas, himself summed up some of the characteristics that drew the Patriots to trade up in the second round to draft him.
"For a franchise looking to build off a Super Bowl appearance in 2025, Jacas represents a near-perfect fit. He fills an immediate need at edge rusher, but he also embodies the kind of player Vrabel and newly named defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr want on their defense...
'Very disruptive, very violent,' Jacas said, describing his game in a post-draft conference call. 'Someone that's very dependable, someone that's going to bring the energy and the juice to the team. And someone that is an all-out motor player. That's the player they can expect.'"
Jacas had a stellar year for the Fighting Illini in 2025. The 6'3 5/8", 260-pound Jacas racked up 43 total stops, 13.5 tackles for loss, a pass defended, and three forced fumbles. But his best statistic was the all-important sacks. He had 11 sacks to rank seventh in the entire FBS, averaging almost a sack per game.
The Patriots began the 2026 draft with two picks who both fit the team's needs like a glove. First-rounder and former Utah left tackle Lomu is their immediate swing tackle backing up both left tackle Will Campbell, who had injury issues, and 35-year-old right tackle Morgan Moses.
Jacas will immediately slot in as the third edge behind another of 2025's injured players, Harold Landry III, and free agent signing Dre'Mont Jones. He'll also likely be called upon to slot inside on occasion on passing downs.
Wherever he plays, expect Jacas to bring the heat and rack up sacks. He was a terrific trade-up and draft pick by the Patriots. Expect it to pay big dividends on the field.
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