The New England Patriots have traded up in the 2026 NFL Draft again, and this time it’s to move up in the second round and take a pass rusher.
The Patriots have traded the No. 63 pick (second round), the No. 131 pick (fourth round) and the No. 202 pick (sixth round) to the Los Angeles Chargers for the No. 55 pick in Round 2.
And with the No. 55 pick, the Patriots selected Illinois edge Gabe Jacas.
Jacas was one of the best pass rushers in the Big Ten conference in 2025.
He tallied 43 total tackles, three forced fumbles and a career-high 11 sacks in 12 games last season. He had 27 sacks in 50 career games over four seasons with Illinois.
Edge rusher was a huge need for the Patriots coming into this draft, especially after they lost K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency. Jacas joins Harold Landry and Dre’Mont Jones among notable edge rushers on the Patriots’ roster.
Our Patriots insider Phil Perry actually predicted in his final mock draft this week that New England would trade up to No. 55 and take Jacas.
Here’s what he wrote about the Illinois star:
The 6-foot-4, 261-pounder isn’t necessarily a blur off the edge, but he had an excellent 10-yard split (1.59 seconds) at his pro day and has an NFL-ready power element to his game. He was a two-time wrestling champ in Florida as a high schooler and looks like he relishes hand-to-hand combat opportunities on the outside.
Jacas was a durable team captain for the Illini whose aggressiveness jumps off the tape. (Mike) Vrabel can comfortably use Jacas across situations because of his size despite the fact that nearly 22-year-old is further along as a pass-rusher than he is as a run defender at the moment.
The Patriots have traded up in both the first and second rounds of this draft, and it has cost them two fourth-rounders and a sixth-rounder in total.
As a result, they have just five picks on Day 3 of the draft. Here’s a recap of the Patriots’ remaining picks.