One New England Patriots Rookie Who Could Win a Starting Job Out of Camp
With teams on their month-long break from mid-June to mid-July in between minicamp and training camp, we've reached the deadest point of the NFL offseason.
But fortunately for football fans, there's just three weeks left before training camp kicks off, followed by the preseason and regular season, which starts the week of Sept. 7.
Until then, we've done training camp previews and analyzed the top position battle to watch for all 32 teams. Next up in our offseason series is looking at one rookie from every team who could win a starting job in training camp this season, and today we're looking at the New England Patriots.
New England's 2026 Draft Class
- Caleb Lomu, OT, Round 1
- Gabe Jacas, DE, Round 2
- Eli Raridon, TE, Round 3
- Karon Prunty, CB, Round 5
- Dametrious Crownover, OT, Round 6
- Namdi Obiazor, LB, Round 6
- Behren Morton, QB, Round 7
- Jam Miller, RB, Round 7
- Quintayvious Hutchins, DE, Round 7
It's possible first-round tackle Caleb Lomu could work his way into a starting role at some point during the season, but he's currently projected to start the year as a rotational swing tackle behind Will Campbell and Morgan Moses.
Thus, Gabe Jacas presumably has the best path toward a starting job in his first season. With K'Lavon Chaisson (74 pressures, 44 hurries, 18 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks) now playing for the Washington Commanders, there's a large hole in New England's pass-rush.
The good news is the Patriots still have Harold Landry and Milton Williams, and they're adding a 6-foot-4, 260-pound freight train in Gabe Jacas. The second-round pick has excellent power to bull-rush players off the rush, and he had a hard chop move that rattles opposing offensive linemen.
Jacas had his best season last year, totaling 41 pressures, 22 hurries, 13.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, seven QB hits, and three forced fumbles, per Pro Football Focus. He forced seven fumbles, recovering one, and he hits double-digit tackles for loss and eight or more sacks in each of his last two seasons.
Don't be surprised if Jacas cracks the starting rotation by the Patriots' season opener against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
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This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 3:25 PM.