SoccerPreview
Arteta: Arsenal ready to 'get job done' and win title after post-Man City recharge
Arteta calls on Arsenal to take charge in title race after loss to City
Sky Sports1 min read
Sports
Eliot Wolf breaks down Patriots' decision to trade up for Gabe Jacas
TL;DR
The New England Patriots traded up in the second round to select Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas, addressing a key position of need. Executive vice president Eliot Wolf expressed surprise that Jacas was still available at that point in the draft.
Key points
- Patriots traded up in the second round of the draft
- Selected Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas
- Eliot Wolf noted Jacas was the highest-rated player on their board
- The move addressed a top need for the team
- Chargers were looking to acquire more picks
Mentioned in this story
Los Angeles Chargers
New England Patriots
Edge.
That's been a position that has been named as one of the Patriots' top needs in the draft, and New England wasted no time in securing a top defender to add to the depth chart.
In the second round, the Patriots traded up and selected Illinois edge Gabe Jacas, whom executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said came as a surprise that he was still available.
"Yeah, we were exploring the board, and Gabe was the highest-rated player that we had on there. Obviously, at a position of need, and we just felt like rather than waiting," Wolf told reporters following the conclusion of rounds 2 and 3. "I was a little bit surprised that he wasn't off the board already. So, we tried to pull the trigger. We were calling a bunch of teams before we ended up making the trade, and fortunately, the Chargers wanted to acquire some more picks, so we were able to get up and get the player that we coveted."
Wolf added that the play style is what they are "all about," adding that they noticed his "toughness, determination, grit."
"He plays a ton of snaps. He plays really hard. He's super physical," he added. "He runs to the ball. Not afraid to take on blockers. His junior year, he played a little bit more inside on third downs and things like that, so that's something that we felt like he could do. Just really the play style is something that stood out, and as far as the visit, this guy is high energy. He's all about football. He wants to be good. He's powerful.
And with that, it also helps that the entire coaching staff was a huge fan of Jacas, with Wolf saying they were "ecstatic" to draft him.
"He was one of the guys that came in and everyone was just kind of gushing about him," Wolf explained. "His energy, his personality. He's all about football. He's a tough guy. Frank Piraino, our strength coach, was fired up about him because he's a weight room guy and a wrestler which, obviously, Frank has that background as well. So yeah, he made quite an impression when he was here."
One thing is clear: Jacas is in the right place to develop into a truly top-tier defender.
Q&A
Why did the Patriots trade up for Gabe Jacas?
The Patriots traded up to select Gabe Jacas because he was the highest-rated player on their board and filled a critical position of need.
What did Eliot Wolf say about Gabe Jacas's availability in the draft?
Eliot Wolf mentioned he was surprised that Gabe Jacas was still available and emphasized the team's desire to secure him before other teams could.
Which team did the Patriots trade with to acquire Gabe Jacas?
The Patriots traded with the Los Angeles Chargers to move up in the draft and select Gabe Jacas.
