Mike Smith sees room for Gabe Jacas to grow.
But he also sees a rookie with enough raw material to make failure difficult.
The New England Patriots outside linebackers coach delivered one of the strongest endorsements Jacas has received since entering the NFL, pointing to the second-round pick’s size, athleticism, edge and love for football.
“You got a kid that’s big like him, that’s athletic like him, that’s meaner than a wet mule, and he loves football,” Smith said Tuesday, via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.
Patriots OLB coach Mike Smith on Gabe Jacas:
“I'm not a gambler, but I kind of look at maybe anything in life as gambling. You got a kid that's big like him, that's athletic like him, that's meaner than a wet mule, and he loves football. I'm not gonna say he's gonna be Jason…
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) August 25, 2026
Smith stopped short of making a Hall of Fame comparison, although his prediction was highly complimentary of the Illinois product.
“It’s gonna be very hard for him to fail,” Smith said.
That take comes at an interesting point in Jacas’ first NFL summer, as he has flashed the traits that made him a premium draft pick, but there’s also admittedly been a rookie learning curve.
Patriots Have Seen Jacas Make Up Ground QuicklyGettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – AUGUST 22: Gabe Jacas #50 of the New England Patriots looks on during the first half of the preseason game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Jacas missed New England’s spring program and the beginning of training camp before signing his rookie deal July 26. Knee and hamstring issues also limited his early work, and his first practice didn’t come until Aug. 1.
The Patriots had already made a sizable investment.
New England moved up and selected Jacas with the No. 55 pick after a four-year career at Illinois in which he totaled 27 sacks and seven forced fumbles. He finished his senior season with a Big Ten-leading 11 sacks.
The physical profile has been easy to see. At 6-foot-4 and 261 pounds, Jacas has the frame to hold up on the edge and the power to collapse a pocket. Patriots.com highlighted his bull rush and ability to win with force after the draft, describing him as a natural fit for Mike Vrabel’s defense.
There have also been signs of progress once the pads came on.
Jacas made five tackles in New England’s preseason opener and flashed pressure off the edge, though his aggressiveness also pulled him out of position on some option concepts. In his second preseason appearance, he finished with four tackles and a quarterback hit.
The workload itself matters. New England has continued giving Jacas defensive and special teams snaps despite the time he missed, creating chances for the rookie to catch up before the regular season.
Vrabel Has Kept Pressure on Patriots RookieVrabel has taken a demanding approach with Jacas from the moment he joined practice.
After the rookie’s preseason debut, Vrabel said the performance “needs to be better.” Following the second preseason game, he described Jacas as “still inconsistent”, while also calling him coachable and praising his willingness to work.
Those comments give Smith’s assessment more context.
New England’s coaches are not treating Jacas like a finished product. They have emphasized alignment, hand placement, play recognition and special teams responsibilities while challenging him to close the gap created by his late start.
Jacas has acknowledged the details are where much of his attention has gone. After the Philadelphia game, he said he was focusing on “the little things,” including reading backfield sets and sharpening his technique.
For a rookie edge defender, those areas can determine how quickly physical ability turns into a dependable role.
Smith appears convinced the foundation is already in place.
The Patriots do not need Jacas to reach his ceiling immediately. They need him to keep stacking reps, cut down the mental mistakes and make his strength and motor show up consistently.
If that happens, Smith’s “hard to fail” conclusion could look less like preseason optimism and more like an early read on one of New England’s most important young defenders.
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