Ourlads' Profile:
2026 Guide: What Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services said about GABE JACAS:
Illinois | Hometown: Port St. Lucie, FL | HT: 6040 | WT: 260 | 40 time: 4.70 | Hand: 1000 | Arm: 3300 | Wing: 7814
Four year starter. First-team All-Big 10 in 2025. Powerful frame with upper and lower body mass. As a former state champion wrestler, Jacas shows solid athleticism, balance, and quickness playing on the edge. His size is above average for someone aligning most often in a two point stance in a 7 or wide 9 alignment. He also has experience in a three point playing from a 5 to a 4i alignment. Very effective playing the run from any alignment, he shows power and knee bend attacking blocks. He can set the edge showing violent hands to stack and shed a block. He has the agility to re-direct off blocks and work inside or outside reacting to the play. Has decent range in pursuit to chase to the perimeter. Flashes fundamental tackling skill playing in space. Flashes snap quickness as a pass rusher and can knock a blocker back with his powerful initial charge. He has a variety of moves including cross chops, various hand swipes, arm under, push pull counter and club move. He plays with a hot motor and keeps coming, showing second effort and ability to stack moves. He showed up at the Senior Bowl weighing in at 260 pounds, 15 pounds lighter than listed, and it appeared to improve his quickness and speed off the edge. His wing span is just adequate and this could be part of his higher than average missed tackle rate. He has some misses in space. Occasionally loses leverage on blocks working a move. Where to play him is a question. He's been effective as an on the ball linebacker, but there's some thought he's better suited as a hand in the dirt defensive end. At 260 he might be best suited as a 3-4 outside linebacker in base defenses.
2025 Stats: 43 T, 13.5 TFL, 11 sacks, 1 PBU, 6 QBH, 3 FF. Draft projection: 2nd/3rd round