Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois: 2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report plus pro comp

The edge rusher class in 2026 isn't viewed as particularly elite, but one player who deserves a considerable look as an early-round prospect is Illinois Fighting Illini EDGE Gabe Jacas. One of the most productive pass rushers in college football, he has remained a staple of the NFL Draft media since arriving on campus.

Jacas committed to Illinois as part of the 2022 recruiting class and made his mark immediately. He was a freshman All-American with 4 sacks in his first year, and his career only took off from there. He finished his collegiate career as a three-time All-Big 10 honoree and a two-time All-American, racking up 11 sacks in his senior season, and declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Gabe Jacas NFL Draft Profile:

Position: EDGE

School: Illinois Fighting Illini

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 275 pounds

Hometown: Port St. Lucie, Florida

Statistics:

2025: 43 Tackles, 13.5 TFLs, 11 Sacks, 3 FF

Career: 183 Tackles, 35.5 TFLs, 27 Sacks, 7 FF

Strengths:

Great straight-line speed to beeline to the QB, either off the edge or through the middle

Fast get-off out of two-point and three-point stances, drives his arms into the OL sharply, and has the upper body strength to lock out and drive tackles backward

High-upside lateral rip move from the outside, gets quick and violent to work around linemen

Sinks into his hips well around the edge and can absolutely fly past the OL with an impressive upper body push-through to finish block sheds

Absorbs shock contact from pulling blockers well, and maintains his strength when drivenup and out of his base to still impact plays in the backfield

Establishes his base quickly when sinking back into it and explodes through his legs to engage with ball carriers away from his frame

High effort player who brings down ball carriers and impacts plays long after the snap

Has enough athleticism to work in small doses as a coverage backer

Solid footwork out of his stance to work through his base and keep his legs moving forward when pursuing the QB/ball carrier

Weaknesses:

Slows himself down too suddenly on stunts, doesn’t generate lateral momentum to work across the line

Overshoots too often against shotgun rushes, either jumping on option fakes or carrying his momentum too far laterally against outside runs

Gets jittery when holding contain, can get taken advantage of by quicker, more physical linemen

Needs to work more with his post-speed-to-power transitions, will drive linemen back, but gets stocky when needing to make a last move to finish the rep and get to the QB

Change of direction skills aren’t as smooth as they could be at times, doesn’t maintain his momentum when transitioning laterally

Only 6’3”, has decent length but not enough to be a true “freak of nature”-type edge rusher

Can wrap too wide around the OL and win reps, but be too far behind the line; he can’t finish the play, and he gives up his leverage

Struggles to break down and sit into his base to make tackles when playing with high linear intensity

Backfield vision and analysis can falter at points, leading to increased hesitation and an inability to impact some plays

Overall run defense is lacking; his hands aren’t his biggest strength in any set

NFL Outlook:

Jacas is an incredibly fun pass rusher to watch, and man, can he do some special things. His athleticism, size, and explosiveness give him a major advantage when the scheme simply lets him use his tools, and on film, he’s seemingly in the backfield every play. The problems arise with his high pad level and consistent struggles against the run, issues that will raise questions about his future as a three-down player, and likely give some teams pause about selecting him highly. However, the pass rush prowess is simply too impactful to ignore, and his frame offers him the opportunity to grow into his run defense skillset. All in all, Jacas should get taken early to bolster a team’s defensive front, and he should be a solid piece in the NFL for an extended time.

NFL Player Comparison:

Jacas comes out of college with a much higher prestige as a draft prospect, but his overall profile comes out similar to that of former New York Jets' star pass rush specialist Bryce Huff.

Huff, a Memphis alumnus, came out of college as a slightly undersized EDGE with explosive traits, but raw hand technique, and issues against the run. Huff's career prime dropped off rather quickly, but he has remained a decent pass rusher, and his peak of 10 sacks in 2023 is a reasonable end goal for Jacas if he chooses the pass rush-only route.

Prospect Grade:

Late 2nd Round