Every training camp, an unheralded player emerges from the pack. For the 2026 Patriots, that player has been linebacker Khalil Jacobs.

The Missouri standout did not hear his name called during April’s draft, and unlike most players in his position, Jacobs didn’t sign with a team until May 8, 13 days after the conclusion of the draft.

“It wasn’t necessarily stressful,” Jacobs told reporters Friday. “I knew everything was going to pan out how it needed to.”

Although the process was slower than usual, Jacobs knew he wanted to end up in New England.

“Yes, this was the only team [Patriots] I visited, so it was kind of a blatant answer; who actually wanted me? I want whoever wants me, and these guys showed me love, so I chose them and I got love back,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs noted how the bond between coaches and players stood out. It was a crucial detail when weighing his options. While on the visit, Jacobs encountered head coach Mike Vrabel, who couldn’t help but crack a joke on his “less than ideal” 4.77-second 40-yard dash time.

“He came here on a visit, and I was trying to give him a hard time about his forty, and he was like that was a timing error,” Vrabel said with a smile. “I’m like, thirty-two teams timed your forty wrong?”

Although Jacobs ran a 40-yard dash on the slower side, his game speed has been praised by coaches and even himself.

“The math wasn’t mathing,” Jacobs joked. “We play football; we’re not track runners. I have tremendous game speed, so I don’t allow forty times and things like that to determine the kind of player I am.”

There is no doubt Jacobs plays fast, which is even more impressive considering this is his first time playing a professional defense. The Mississippi native had a simple answer on how he could execute such a task.

“See ball, get ball,” Jacobs said as he confidently nodded in the direction of CLNS reporter Taylor Kyles.

His “see ball, get ball” mentality is evident, as Jacobs is consistently making plays on the football. This includes a near interception the linebacker dropped Friday as well as an impressive pass breakup Monday.

This, among other things, is why he has shot up the Patriots’ linebacker depth chart and is now the team's fourth linebacker.

From undrafted to undeniable, Jacobs is all but a roster lock just months after 32 teams passed on the rookie.