The New England Patriots received heavy praise when they selected edge rusher Gabe Jacas in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The past few weeks have been clouded in mystery, however, as Jacas skipped New England's voluntary organized team activities (OTAs), as well as mandatory minicamp.
It's unclear if Jacas' absences have been due to his recovery from a knee procedure, his contract status or another reason, but as of Tuesday, he remains the league's only unsigned second-round rookie.
Patriots insider Chad Graff of The Athletic wrote about Jacas' circumstances in an article published Tuesday.
"But the fact that Jacas missed all of spring due to a procedure the Patriots are being coy about and remains unsigned is at the very least unusual, and at worst a troubling sign," Graff said. "The Patriots need Jacas. They traded up because they couldn’t afford to leave the second round without getting help at edge rusher, which is probably their weakest position."
If healthy and available, the University of Illinois product could provide as big boost to New England's defense.
Jacas finished his college career tied for sixth all-time in the Big Ten in sacks with 27.0, including a career-high 11.0 during the 2025 season.
"The Patriots used the No. 55 pick on a player they’re having a meaningful contract dispute with, who didn’t participate in spring workouts, who missed every full-team practice and who underwent an unknown procedure -- and it’s not quite clear whether the team signed off on that surgery. All of that is pretty concerning," Graff wrote.
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