Patriots scouting report: Khalil Jacobs is a linebacker in a safety’s body

The New England Patriots showed extensive interest in more than 140 draft prospects this offseason, and several of them touched base with the team on more than one occasion. Tops among them, however, was Khalil Jacobs: after speaking with the Patriots at his pro day and virtually, he also visited Gillette Stadium shortly before the draft.

The multiple contact points did not result in Jacobs getting drafted, but they did set the stage for him joining the Patriots as a rookie free agent a short time later.

Hard facts

Name: Khalil Jacobs

Position: Off-ball linebacker

Jersey number: 59

Opening day age: 22 (12/1/2003)

Measurements: 6’1”, 227 lbs, 10 1/4” hand size, 32 1/4” arm length, 77 3/4” wingspan, 4.77s 40-yard dash, 7.35s 33-cone drill, 4.54s short shuttle, 40” vertical jump, 11’1” broad jump, 27 bench press reps, 6.44 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

NFL: New England Patriots (2026-) | College: South Alabama (2022-23), Missouri (2024-25)

A two-way player in high school, who played both wide receiver and linebacker, Jacobs was rated as a three-star recruit coming out of Niceville, FL. Even though he had shown some potential, he only received a single FBS offer and therefore spent his first two collegiate seasons at South Alabama. After playing 24 games with three starts as a Jaguar — notching 60 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception — he entered the transfer portal in 2024.

Jacobs ended up at Missouri, where he started eight of 19 games over the next two years. He added 61 tackles and five sacks to his tally, but his production was nonetheless not enough to earn him a spot in the NFL Draft. Instead, he joined the Patriots as a rookie free agent after not hearing his name called in any of the seven rounds in April 2026.

Scouting report

Strengths: Jacobs is an explosive player with the appropriate play strength to succeed at the next level. He has shown some good instincts from his spot at the second level as well as the ability to sniff out plays and pull the trigger decisively when making a read. In general, he plays with a high motor both when coming downhill against the run or when in pursuit. He also is a sound tackler, who is capable of delivering big hits but also does not sacrifice his technique for added physicality. Jacobs additionally comes with plenty of special teams experienced, and was well-respected as a team leader at Missouri.

Weaknesses: Jacobs is undersized by traditional linebacker standards, with his lack of bulk and length both limiting his success. As a pass rusher, he is a hit-or-miss player who can make the play when finding a gap but also be entirely neutralized when blockers get their hands on him. He also lacks the second gear to consistently be trusted downfield in 1-on-1 coverage, and remains a work in progress as far as the consistency of his reads is concerned. He also never produced at a high level in college, in part because he failed to earn a regular starting role at both of his stops.

2025 review

Stats: 13 games (6 starts) | 372 defensive snaps, 103 special teams snaps | 47 tackles, 3 missed tackles (6.0%), 5 TFLs | 10 QB pressures (3 sacks, 1 hits, 6 hurries) | 18 targets, 14 catches surrendered (77.8%), 89 yards, 2 PBUs | 0 penalties

Season recap: A pectoral tear might have forced Jacobs to miss the final seven games of the 2024 season, but it did not disrupt his preparation for his final collegiate campaign too much. By his own admission, he already felt back at 100% in January, and he followed it up with standard participation during Missouri’s fall camp in August. From that point on, he delivered a quality season as one of the team’s top linebackers and captains.

While only a spot starter who finished 12th on the team in defensive snaps and 13th on special teams, Jacobs looked solid whenever called upon. He was one of the team’s surest tacklers, a four-unit special teamer, a reliable run defender despite his build, and surprisingly efficient as a pass rusher: his 24.4% pressure rate on just 41 pass rush snaps was among the highest on the team.

His disruptive ability also was on display during one of the Tigers’ biggest games of the season, an October matchup with eighth-ranked Alabama. Jacobs finished the game with a season-high seven tackles and a sack of quarterback and future first-round draft choice Ty Simpson (who threw for a season-low 200 yards in the game).

Most of his numbers from the 2025 season do not necessarily stand out, particularly compared to his final year at South Alabama, but Jacobs still competed well in the toughest conference in college football. His final season therefore was a fitting segue into his NFL career.

2026 preview

Position: Middle linebacker/Coverage linebacker | Ability: Camp body/Practice squad candidate | Contract: Signed through 2028 (2029 RFA)

What will be his role? Jacobs was employed as an off-ball linebacker during the Patriots’ spring practices, a usage very much in line with his college career. He therefore projects as a depth and possible coverage option at the position while simultaneously providing value as a potential core-four special teamer. Given some similarities to ex-Patriots linebacker/safety hybrid Marte Mapu, he might even throw his hat in the ring as the personal punt protector, even though he did not play the role in college.

What is his growth potential? Jacobs might have to add some bulk to his frame in order to maximize his chances of surviving in the NFL. If he can do that and keeps working on his anticipation and play recognition, he should be able to become a serviceable backup linebacker. His quickest path to success and roster security, however, projects to be on special teams. He has the potential to become a core player in the game’s third phase.

Does he have positional versatility? Jacobs was used in a rather straight-forward fashion at Missouri, playing 84% of his snaps as a box linebacker. He did align in the middle as well on both the strong side and the weak side but that was virtually the extent of his defensive versatility. In the kicking game, meanwhile, he saw action on five units: he has experience on the four core groups — kickoff and punt return, kickoff and punt coverage — and also participated in the field goal and extra point blocking squads.

What is his salary cap situation? The Patriots signed Jacobs to a standard three-year UDFA deal after he went undrafted, but they opted against attaching any guarantees to it. As a consequence, the pact is entirely made out of his salary. In 2026, that salary comes at $885,000 and is currently not high enough to qualify him for Top 51 status. As a consequence, he is not counted against New England’s cap at the moment.

How safe is his roster spot? Just like most other undrafted signings, Jacobs is facing an uphill battle to make the roster. Helping him is the fact that none of the spots behind fellow linebackers Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss are currently set in stone; if he performs well on defense and special teams over the summer, he very well could play himself into the roster conversation.

Summary: Jacobs is an intriguing player and somebody who could right away make an impact special teams. However, until he goes out there and does it, he remains a projection more than anything. But even so, there could be enough to him to at least latch onto the practice squad.

What do you think about Khalil Jacobs heading into the 2026 season? Is the 53-man roster a realistic goal? Or is should he set his sights on the practice squad? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.