New England Patriots Assistant Coach Shares Interesting Take on Rookie Gabe Jacas

No matter what your feelings may be regarding the New England Patriots ' 2026 second-round pick, Gabe Jacas , and the process it took for him to end up on the practice field this summer and then in preseason action, one thing is for certain: his coaches seem to love him.

Case in point: The words spoken by Patriots outside linebackers coach Mike Smith on Tuesday afternoon.

Smith put his stamp of approval all over the rookie out of Illinois when he spoke to the media. His endorsement of Jacas centers around his athleticism and a potential gambling problem if he ever had one.

"I'm not a gambler, but I kind of look at maybe anything in life as gambling," Smith told Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. "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 Taylor or LT or any of that stuff, but it's gonna be very hard for him to fail."

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

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…

Smith's comparison of Jacas to a Hall of Famer is a bold statement that may be too soon to judge, but the young player's coaches are confident in him, it seems.

Jacas' first practice didn't come till August 1st with the Patriots after he missed their spring training program. He didn't sign his rookie deal until July 26th, a move that many felt was slightly polarizing, but in the end, he had knee and hamstring issues that had to be addressed before Jacas could take the field.

When the team's second-round pick did take the field, footage emerged of the rookie throwing the team staff around on padded blocking drills, with a lot of people's jaws dropping and many thinking he was the real deal and the answer to some of their defensive problems.

Despite high praise, head coach Mike Vrabel has kept the pressure on his rookie edge rusher. The coaching points that Vrabel can inflict can help reduce mental mistakes and aid in his strength development, plus the key factor in any young player, which is discipline.

Then, as time goes on, maybe Smith's comments about Jacas being "hard to fail" could prove true.

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