Gabe Jacas is a name to keep an eye on ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears didn’t sign defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson in free agency. For some fans, that factoid is upsetting. And, to an extent, it is understandable. After all, the Bears entered the offseason with glaring needs along the defensive line and still have said needs as the NFL enters the second week of free agency.
But what if I told you the next Hendrickson could be available in the NFL Draft?
This tweet from NFL Draft guru Todd McShay was an eye-opener:
One of my favorite NFL comps in this year‘s draft is Gabe Jacas (Illinois) and Trey Hendrickson. Like Hendrickson (pk 39, RD3), Jacas won’t be a RD1 pk because he lacks the athletic profile. But both are excellent with their hands, have strong wrestling backgrounds and play with relentless motors and toughness. Jacas will be one of the steals from the ‘26 class.
Hey! Keep it down, Todd! We’re trying to get a draft steal here!
Long before Trey Hendrickson became a four-time Pro Bowler who recorded 13+ sacks in four seasons and earned first-team All-Pro honors, he was a third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 NFL Draft who played collegiately at Florida Atlantic. Hendrickson, who didn’t come off the board until pick No. 103, outperformed his draft status while with the Saints and turned in a mostly stellar five-year stint with the Cincinnati Bengals. And while I won’t rehash the 2017 NFL Draft choices the Bears made, I definitely wish they could have found someone like Hendrickson.
Nick Foles is tackled by Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson in November. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)This Gabe Jacas-Trey Hendrickson Comparison is Intriguing
To be clear, I will not go so far as to predict that Gabe Jacas will be the next Trey Hendrickson. However, I do see what Todd McShay is getting at with his commentary. There is a path for Jacas to follow if he wants to go from Day 2 pick to standout edge rusher. He needs to look no further than Hendrickson, whom McShay compares him to in his tweet. Perhaps Bears Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen (who was in New Orleans when the Saints drafted Hendrickson) is the type of coach who can guide him along the way.
For what it’s worth, Trey Hendrickson’s pre-draft profile from the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine had him listed at 6-foot-4 and 266 pounds with 32-inch arms and 9 7/8-inch hands. Meanwhile, the Gabe Jacas pre-draft profile lists the University of Illinois product as 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, with 33-inch arms and 10-inch hands. The more I look into Jacas, the more I start to see what McShay is talking about when comparing this particular prospect to Hendrickson.
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NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein shares a different comp for Gabe Jacas. And for Bears fans, it is a familiar one. Zierlein draws a Matthew Judon comparison for Jacas. This feels notable when you think about Chicago’s pursuit of a trade for Judon ahead of the 2024 NFL season. This is what Zierlein writes in Jacas’ overview:
Jacas is well-built with tremendous play strength and the ability to play as a hand-down end or a stand-up edge. He’s more rugged than explosive and twitchy. He can hold his ground against power but needs to do a better job of playing with discipline to set and contain his edge. Jacas’ pass-rush plan lacks creativity but features a good deal of force and leg drive to bully his way into the pocket once he opens the tackle’s edge. His play is more steak than sizzle with average sack production expected, but his field demeanor and play strength foreshadow a long career as an NFL starter.
Gabe Jacas isn’t a finished product. Then again, no one is at this point in the pre-NFL Draft process. But the measureables suggest that Jacas is the type of defensive lineman who is a prototypical fit for a Dennis Allen-coached defense. And the production at the collegiate level hints at Jacas being someone the Bears should consider as a possible second-round pick. Jacas was a freshman All-American (2022), a two-time All-Big Ten performer (first-team 2025, third-team 2024), and earned third-team All-American recognition as a junior in 2024. At a minimum, Jacas deserves a deeper evaluation when Chicago’s front office starts putting its draft board together.
Nov 1, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Gabe Jacas (17) sacks Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn ImagesA NEW BN BEARS PODCAST EPISODE IS COMING SOON: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
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