Patriots Draft Gabe Jacas: Judon's Successor

0:00On April 25th, the New England Patriots just snagged Edge R Usher, gave Joccas in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, picking him. 55th overall. This young guy is already channeling his inner Matthew Judon, the former Pat Star who brought that heat off the edge. Joccas sees Matt overlap in their styles, from speed to power rushes to slick handwork and power moves. Judon kicked off of Baltimore as a 5th round pick before landing in New England as a free agent back in 2021. He balled out with pro-bowl nods in his healthy years there, but injuries sidelined him in 2023, leading to a trade to Atlanta last. Offseason. Joccas is hyped about modeling his game after Judon, calling him the blueprint for a top-tier edge guy. Fans are buzzing because it feels like the pats are rebuilding that dominant front with a familiar vibe, even spiritually bringing back those red sleeves. What makes this pick pop is the connection through coach Joe Kim, who sharpened Judon during his pats days as director of skill development.

1:02Kim bounced to Illinois after the 2024 season and linked up with Joccas who exploded as a senior in 2025 with career highs of 11 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. Kim drilled into Joccas that hands on attacking, staying on track, powering through tackles, which turned him into the beast he is now. With that pats visit sealing the deal, Joccas is locked in to carry the torch and keep the edge rushing legacy alive in Foxboro. That's the story for today, NFL News Today, driven by AI.