Gabe Jacas Is The 1st Round Sleeper For The Bears — Draft Insider Reveals Why
The Chicago Bears have been connected to several names with their 25th overall pick going into the NFL draft month. Probably the most popular is Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods, who represents the elusive interior pass rusher they’ve needed for ages. Other prominent names include Missouri defensive end Zion Young, Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, and Miami pass rusher Akheem Mesidor. All have plenty of good points to make the case for going at that spot. However, one name isn’t getting nearly enough attention. That is Gabe Jacas.
He is a defensive end from Illinois, fresh off an excellent season with 11 sacks and 13.5 tackles for a loss. Jacas brings good size at 6’3″, 270 lbs, boasts a wrestling background, good power, and plenty of violence in his approach. Add the fact that he’s a standout leader and highly intelligent, and you have a prospect who seems to check all the boxes. Draft insider Todd McShay recently gave the reason why Jacas is the name people should be watching for the Bears at #25.
Gabe Jacas mirroring Hendrickson is important.
For one, being compared to one of the NFL’s best pass rushers is never a bad thing. Hendrickson had 35 sacks between 2023 and 2024 for the Cincinnati Bengals. There is a reason Baltimore felt comfortable handing him $112 million this offseason, despite his being 32 years old. Yet the specific mention of Hendrickson also holds important context for the Bears. After all, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was with the New Orleans Saints when they drafted him in the 3rd round in 2017.
If anybody sees the similarities between the two, it’ll be the guy who coached Hendrickson through the first four years of his career. That is why Bears fans shouldn’t be dismissing Jacas as an option at #25. Despite being a bit average in height, he has the desired weight and length Allen prefers in his defensive ends. Power isn’t a problem, either. That will help with the run defense. Character concerns? Not even a little. Throw in the fact that Jacas came up in the team’s backyard, and it’s an easy sell.
This draft has little separation in talent outside the top 10.
Experts often say there comes a point at which someone picked in the 20s doesn’t have much more talent than someone picked in the 40s or 50s. It is all about preference. The Bears will likely be in that spot at #25. Plenty of people have tried saying Gabe Jacas won’t go until the 2nd round. Yet when you read up on him, it is far from crazy to think he goes in the 1st. Way stranger things have happened in the draft. Jacas has everything you could want short of truly elite attributes.
- He has sack production.
- His body fits the Bears’ system.
- He is a high-character player.
- Obviously, he fills a major need.
Everything lines up. If Allen signs off, this feels like an easy pick for the Bears come April. As always, it depends on how the board falls. There could be an unexpected name that slips through the cracks. Maybe the Bears decide to be aggressive and trade up. Yet based on their current needs, the strength of this class, and the preferences of the coaching staff, Jacas is a major sleeper.