According to the frequently updated Patriots Draft Meetings Tracker, New England has already made pre-draft contact with over 130 prospects, with 17 of them meeting the team multiple times.
One name that clearly stands out in that group is Missouri linebacker Khalil Jacobs, who has drawn notable attention from the organization.
After initially meeting him during Missouri’s pro day in late March, the Patriots followed up with a virtual session and then connected with him again on Thursday, hosting him at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough—making him the 18th reported prospect to visit the team ahead of the draft.
The Patriots’ strong interest in Jacobs aligns with earlier comments from executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, who indicated the team aims to get younger at linebacker through this year’s draft, a class he described as particularly strong at the position.
Although Jacobs isn’t widely ranked among top linebacker prospects—he doesn’t even appear on the NFL Mock Draft Database’s extensive consensus board—he has clearly earned respect within league circles.
New England seems to value his potential, both for their positional needs and his individual traits.
At 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, Jacobs posted an unofficial Relative Athletic Score of 6.44 during pre-draft testing.
While slightly undersized by traditional linebacker standards, the 22-year-old is known for his relentless energy and leadership, having been named a team captain in 2025 despite only being a part-time starter.
Over two seasons at Missouri, he played in 19 games with eight starts, recording 61 tackles and five sacks. Prior to that, he spent two years at South Alabama, appearing in 24 games with three starts.
