Patriots sleepers – After a breakthrough year that brought an AFC East title and an AFC championship-game win over the Denver Broncos, the New England Patriots closed out 2025 with a 29-13 Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks. Now, with head coach Mike Vrabel dealing with an offseason
For the New England Patriots, the offseason doesn’t start with peace—it starts with memory.
They exceeded expectations a year ago, won the AFC East title, and pushed through the AFC playoffs. That included an AFC title game road win over the Denver Broncos—something the franchise never accomplished during the Tom Brady–Bill Belichick era. It looked like momentum you could build on.
Then the Super Bowl ended the story with a hard turn: Seattle built an early advantage and New England couldn’t mount a charge in a 29-13 loss to the Seahawks.
Head coach Mike Vrabel now has to chase answers in a different kind of arena. The offseason has not been easy for him. with a difficult situation involving the uncovering of his relationship with a well-known NFL insider—something he has had to explain in terms of his actions and his behavior. When the Patriots head to training camp, those questions are expected to follow.
Quarterback Drake Maye, meanwhile, is already setting expectations on the field. Maye said he was basically satisfied with his receiving crew last season. but he made it clear he wanted New England to add a dynamic receiver. The Patriots acted, trading for wideout A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown is a top-tier target with the size. strength. and speed that can turn a quarterback’s progress into something more.
Brown is anything but a sleeper, and the Patriots know exactly what they’re getting. Still, they believe the next leap can come from players who weren’t supposed to be central this quickly.
One of them is Gabe Jacas.
Selected in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft by the Patriots. Jacas is an outside linebacker with unusual physical upside—listed at 6-4 and 261 pounds. His transition is the first hurdle. When he first arrived at Illinois, he was a former wrestler trying to make the jump to college football. Now. to become an impact player on New England’s defense. he has to convert that athletic foundation into NFL production.
Jacas may not be a starter as the Patriots begin 2026 with a rematch against the Seahawks, but there’s a clearer path than “sit and wait.” The view here is that he could grow into a bigger role as the season reaches the halfway point.
The Patriots are betting on his upward curve. At Illinois, he showed excellent work ethic and improved throughout his career with the Fighting Illini. As a freshman in 2022, Jacas played 13 games and finished with 35 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks. In 2023, he had a similar statistical season, but he took a major step in 2024.
As a junior in 2024, Jacas posted 74 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. His senior performance drew more attention, too: he was credited with 43 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 pass defensed.
New England’s scouts noticed the superior production as a senior, and Jacas has stayed driven by the chance to become an impact player. With that motivation, the Patriots could get more than a rookie rotation piece—he could exceed expectations early in his first NFL season.
There’s a second sleeper the team is counting on to change the feel of game days on defense: Dre’Mont Jones.
The Patriots brought in former Ravens pass rusher Dre’Mont Jones with the hope he becomes an impact player in the upcoming season. He signed a three-year, $36.5 million deal, and that price tag is supposed to end the “sleeper/newcomer” label before long. The expectation is clear: New England wants him to rise.
Jones relies on size and strength—listed at 6-3 and 280 pounds—to win his matchups. The need is immediate because New England’s pass rush struggled much of last season. The Patriots ranked tied for 22nd with 35 sacks.
Jones showed the kind of disruption the team has been missing. He delivered 15 QB hits, and he posted a career-best 7.0 sacks. New England may be hoping for a little more, but even that baseline matters against the pressure they’re trying to build.
Jones also isn’t a one-year storyline. He’s well-traveled, having played for the Broncos, Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, and Ravens during his 7 NFL seasons. His best season came in 2025, when he played 9 games for the Titans and 9 more for the Ravens.
Across that stretch, he totaled 43 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 7 TFL, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 pass defensed. If he can use those numbers as a jumping-off point, the Patriots would have a real opportunity to improve their pass rush from last season’s production.
The quiet problem for both Jacas and Jones is the timing. New England has a challenging assignment in 2026. and it starts with the memory of Seattle’s early advantage and the 29-13 scoreline. It’s a reminder that the AFC East title and the AFC title game road win over the Broncos didn’t erase what teams can do when they find momentum.
But if Jacas keeps climbing the way he did at Illinois—and if Jones turns the jump from Ravens contributor to Patriots difference maker—New England won’t just be trying to repeat the breakthrough. It will be trying to build on it. with impact players who may have been overlooked until the postseason forced everyone to look closer.
New England Patriots 2026 NFL season Gabe Jacas Dre'Mont Jones Drake Maye A.J. Brown Mike Vrabel Seahawks Denver Broncos AFC East