‘Always a dream’: Former Illini Gabe Jacas on NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS — To whichever NFL team drafts Gabe Jacas, they’re getting someone who’s physical and disciplined, who doesn’t take plays off and is a natural leader.

That is, of course, in the words of Jacas himself, as he met with the media from the NFL Combine on Wednesday morning.

While describing himself to reporters, one of the biggest points Jacas hammered home was his physicality, something he thinks will translate well to the next level.

“I always want to be a dominant pass rusher, I’m always taking it to the tackle,” Jacas said. “That’s something you need in the league, you can’t just go around a tackle, you gotta go right through their face, and that’s something I pride myself on.”

The former Illini outside linebacker has been slowly creeping up draft boards since the start of the offseason, especially after a strong showing at the Senior Bowl.

While he’s been primarily making his way up the edge rusher rankings and that’s his primary position, Jacas got a fair amount of reps rushing from the interior as well.

“It just shows teams that not only am I an edge rusher, but I can also play inside and have some value.”

“It just shows teams that not only am I an edge rusher, but I can also play inside and have some value,” Jacas said. “I can play anywhere across the line, and being able to do that just adds value to me, and shows teams that I can do both.”

Jacas spent four years with the Illini, where he had quite an illustrious career, playing in 50 total games and finishing with the second-highest amount of sacks in program history (27.0).

In terms of what he’ll be bringing from his time in Champaign to the NFL, there’s going to be a lot of consistency.

“Taking my tools I learned at Illinois to the next level, it doesn’t change, the mindset doesn’t change, the standard doesn’t change,” Jacas said.

Despite deciding to opt out of some of the traditional Combine drills, like the 40-yard dash, Jacas did get his official measurements.

According to his NFL Draft Prospect profile, he stands at 6’4” and weighs 260 pounds, with hand and arm measurements at 10” and 33” respectively.

To go along with his football background, Jacas has a rich wrestling background, as he competed for all four years in high school.

When asked about how his time as a wrestler has shaped him as a football player, the Florida-native answered with a smile.

“Wrestling teaches you not only the physical aspect but the mental as well, you know, obviously it’s just you out there, you can’t blame anybody else but yourself,” Jacas said. “So I feel like I carry that into football, not pointing fingers, what can I do better as a player.”

Getting better as a player is something that Jacas did year-over-year during his career at Illinois, which propelled him to where he is today, someone who will be getting drafted in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft.

It wasn’t a linear process, and it certainly might not have been something he could’ve predicted, but now it’s almost certain.

Gabe Jacas will be hearing his name get called in late April, something he isn’t taking for granted.

“[My] 10-year-old self would just be in awe,” Jacas said. “Did not expect this at a young age, it was always a dream, but to be able to make it come true is a good feeling.”