There are many names to know for the 2026 NFL Draft, but the endless list of players can be narrowed down to those who have a fitting skillset for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Illinois defensive end Gabe Jacas could be on that short list. Let’s take a closer look at his draft profile:
Background
Jacas wasn’t a big-time recruit out of high school, with few Power 5 offers. He decided to play at Illinois for Bret Bielema. Jacas proved he was underrecruited as early as his freshman year.
Jacas’s freshman year was 2022,
when the Illinois defense featured cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon, safeties Sidney Brown and Quan Martin and pass rusher Jer’Zhan Newton. Jacas was able to get on the field with those guys, starting eight games as a freshman, posting four sacks, five tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits. He was an honorable mention for All-Big Ten as a freshman and was a part of many freshman All-American teams.
Jacas wasn’t great as a sophomore when some of that talent left. He rebounded as a junior, earning third-team All Big-Ten honors, then got even better as a senior, posting 11 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. He was First-Team All Big-Ten for his season.
Jacas didn’t do all the athletic drills, but he came in with good size at 6 feet 3 inches tall and 260 lbs with 33-inch arms. Jacas ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds with an impressive 10-yard split of 1.59 seconds.
Jacas’ Strengths
Jacas’s game is built on power. Jacas doesn’t have the biggest frame, but he has fantastic, compact strength and density. Much of it comes from his lower body, where he can easily get underneath tackles and knock them off balance.
Jacas combines his lower-body strength with heavy hands. When Jacas puts his hands into a tackle’s frame, he can redirect a punch and control the rush path. His center of gravity is low to the ground, making it hard for taller tackles to set their anchor.
The ability to control blocks with his hands helps Jacas win with inside counters. His inside swim move allows him to collapse the pocket from the interior and get sacks. He also has a rip move that he can use to draw penalties from there.
Jacas has moves he can turn to, but a pure bullrush also works for him. Jacas doesn’t have the length or size of many power rushers, but his strength and explosiveness are good enough to collapse the pocket. He has enough length and size to make that playstyle work.
Jacas has a relentless first step for getting off the snap. He’s a high-motor player who can play many snaps. Tackles will be hurting the next morning after dealing with Jacas’ force.
What Jacas Needs to Improve
Jacas has some limitations. He’s explosive, but he can play stiff. He won’t have too many wins turning the corner and winning with bend. He doesn’t have the lower-body control to do that. Jacas is explosive and powerful enough to mitigate that, but it does limit his ceiling.
As a run defender, I want to see Jacas play with more awareness. He will miss blocks coming his way. For example, if a receiver or tight end pins him from his outside shoulder, he will miss that and lose the edge. Jacas can get caught too inside on a split flow block from a tight end crossing the line of scrimmage. Fortunately, this is a correctable area that can come with experience.
Jacas will have some limitations as a run defender at the defensive end position. He’s not long or sturdy enough to play strongside defensive end. A strongside defensive end typically plays either 4i or 5-technique and has to take on double teams. I think Jacas lacks the length or girth to do that. A player like Missouri’s Zion Young would be a more natural fit in that role.
That being said, Jacas still will have value as a run defender. If he can play on the weak side on run downs, he’ll be able to set the edge and filter runs inside. For him to do this, Jacas will need to improve his ability to chase in space. He sometimes struggled doing that at the college level. The backside defensive end needs to chase runs from behind. Jacas will need to improve there to add value as a run defender.
Why Jacas fits with the Chiefs
Jacas has the playstyle of a Steve Spagnuolo defensive end. He’s long, powerful, explosive, and has a great motor. Spagnuolo has always valued those four traits in his defensive ends, and Jacas has them all.
Jacas would need to improve his run defense, but having George Karlaftis would help Jacas. Karlaftis can play strongside defensive end vs. the run and take on blocks. Jacas and Karlaftis would be two pocket-pushing players who can condense space and win inside.
Ideally, Jacas or Karlaftis would have more speed around the corner, but I think the two bring enough elsewhere to make it work.
The Bottom Line
When watching Jacas, the comparison I had was former Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots edge defender Matthew Judon. Judon didn’t have elite size or bend, but he brought power and relentlessness. Judon finished with 72 career sacks and four Pro Bowls. The comparison is not to expect that productive a career from Jacas.
If the Chiefs pass on defensive end at pick No. 9, Jacas becomes an option at either pick No. 29 or 40. Ideally, it’s the latter, but he is expected to be drafted in that range. Teams will appreciate his skill set and effort.
Jacas is my seventh-ranked defensive end, behind Rueben Bain, Arvell Reese, David Bailey, T.J. Parker, Keldric Faulk, and Zion Young. I have those six edges as Round 1 caliber players. Jacas is my top Day 2 defensive end and would be a good consolation prize.
