PITTSBURGH — The first Illini is off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Former Illini edge rusher Gabe Jacas is officially on the move, getting drafted by the New England Patriots with pick No. 55 in the second round of the NFL Draft.
After hearing his name called on Friday, Jacas is now headed off to Foxborough, where he’ll be chasing after quarterbacks on Sundays.
Jacas is coming off an impressive senior season with the Illini, where he led the Big Ten in sacks with 11.0, and ended up with 43.0 total
tackles and three forced fumbles.
The Florida native is leaving behind an illustrious career at Illinois, where he rose through the ranks in the program record books during his four years in Champaign.
In 50 career games, Jacas logged the second-most career sacks in program history with 27.0, and the sixth-most forced fumbles with seven.
Standing at an impressive 6’4” and weighing in at 260 pounds, Jacas has the physical traits to make plays from all over the defensive line, whether he’s lining up with his hand in the dirt on the edge or as a defensive tackle.
At the NFL Combine back in February, he led all edge rushers in the bench press, repping out the 225-pound bar 30 times.
Now, Jacas will take all that he’s learned under Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and bring it to the next level, looking to make an impact for head coach Mike Vrabel’s squad.
