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Todd McShay

Find the most comprehensive analysis on [Player Name], featuring Todd McShay’s evaluations. Official measurables, advanced analytics, and a scout’s eye provide the most in-depth breakdown of a prospect’s strengths and weaknesses, NFL draft projection, and potential at the next level.

Edge

Gabe Jacas

Grade89 /100
Pos Rank7
OVR Rank26
School
ILL

Experience

Played50
Started43

POSITION STATS LAST SEASON

Sacks
11
TFL
13.5
Tackles
44
FF
3
PBU
1
Todd McShay

Position-Specific Grades

COMBINE RESULTS

Height
6' 4"
Weight
260lbs
Todd McShay
ARM
33"
Todd McShay
HAND
10"
Bench Press
30reps

The Takeaway

The Player

Jacas is a versatile edge who is very active, instinctive, and efficient in his movements. He’s not an elite athlete and leaves some tackles/sacks on the field. However, he wins with ultra-strong hands, impressive core strength, and relentlessness. He’s a grinder who can wear multiple hats and his power-based skill set will translate immediately to the NFL. A four-year player and three-year starter at Illinois, Jacas racked up 112 tackles, 35.5 TFL, and 27 sacks with seven forced fumbles. (Nineteen of those sacks and all seven forced fumbles were in his final two seasons.) He did not run or jump at the combine or Illinois’s pro day and didn’t list a reason why. He’s got average height, top-end speed, and impressive bulk. 

You can easily see evidence of Jacas’s wrestling background (he was a two-time high school state champion) on his tape. He has great leverage and ability to generate short-area power. I absolutely love his energy level and physicality. He has everything that NFL teams look for in terms of toughness and effort. And I’ve heard from NFL personnel that he’s been one of the A+ interview guys.

As a pass rusher, his game is built on heavy hands, core power, and a relentless combination of motor and toughness. He really gets into an offensive lineman’s pads and controls them, generating power from the ground up to drive them back into the QB when he has the right leverage. He shows some ability to convert speed to power when coming off the edge as a stand-up wide-9. He also crosses the face of offensive tackles quickly. When working inside, he shows good initial pop to stand up the offensive guard and then displays adequate ability to rip, swim, or swipe to work through engagement.

He’s not the most sudden pass rusher and he exhibits some clear redirect tightness that leaves too many sacks/tackles on the field. However, he has good take-off burst, which he uses to help generate a pass-rush runway, and he has a strong closing burst to the QB (or any ballcarrier) when he has a clear path.

He’s far from perfect versus the run but he improved his gap discipline last season. He sets a hard edge and takes on blocks with power, but also shows the ability to absorb, reestablish leverage, locate, and disengage with authority. He’s absolutely relentless with his pursuit energy.

The Draft

Jacas’s athletic profile will keep him out of Round 1, but he will overdeliver for any team that invests in him early in Round 2. 

The Projection

Jacas’s NFL comp is Trey Hendrickson (Ravens). Jacas, like Hendrickson (pick no. 103), won’t be a first-rounder because of his athletic profile. But both are excellent with their hands, have strong wrestling backgrounds, and play with relentless motor and toughness. Jacas should develop into one of the steals from this draft.