Twitter reacts to Patriots trading up, drafting LB Gabe Jacas on Day 2
The Patriots made another splash on Day 2 by trading up in the second round of the draft for edge rusher Gabe Jacas.
The New England Patriots selected edge rusher Gabe Jacas from Illinois with the 55 th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. They used picks No. 63, 131 and 202 to move up in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers to get their man on Friday night.
Jacas, a First-Team All-Big Ten defender, fills an immediate edge-rushing need for the Patriots . He recorded 43 tackles, 11 sacks and 13. 5 tackles for loss last season.
He also proved to be a disruptor in terms of creating turnovers, as he forced three fumbles on the year to go along with seven quarterback hurries and 22 quarterback hits. Heading into the draft, the Patriots' top two options at edge rusher were Dre'Mont Jones and Harold Landry III. K'Lavon Chaisson signed with the Washington Commanders in free agency, and the Patriots released Anfernee Jennings this offseason.
Now, Jacas, a former two-time high school state wrestling champion, will step in and try to help fill the void. Here are some of the reactions on social media to the Patriots' Day 2 draft pick: #Patriots rookie Gabe Jacas was an All-State wrestler in high school and was thought to be the most violent pass rusher in the draft class. š¹6ā4ā š¹260lbs š¹21-Years-Old š¹4-Year Starter Love this pick!