Drake Jackson took to social media to declare he'll make an impact this season, but the 49ers' once-lauded draft pick might be out of chances.
Former USC defensive end Drake Jackson never materialized into the kind of prolific pass-rusher the San Francisco 49ers envisioned when they selected him in Round 2, No. 61 overall, back in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Sure, Jackson had flashes of brilliance and was even seen as a steal when the Niners selected him three years ago. During his rookie year, the 6-foot-4 defender batted down a whopping eight passes at the line of scrimmage. Then, to kick off 2023, Jackson managed three sacks during San Francisco's Week 1 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Unfortunately, those are about the only positives.
Jackson's lack of conditioning resulted in him being relegated to the weekly inactive list late his rookie season, and he was subsequently shut down late in 2023, too, before spending all of 2024 on injured reserve with a knee issue.
This essentially put him into the "bust" category despite previous lofty projections. And the 49ers' subsequent actions entering 2025 all but confirmed they want to move on sooner than later.
Drake Jackson vows to wreak 'havoc' on the field this year
In light of three disappointing seasons thus far, Jackson took to Instagram (h/t @OurSF49ers) to express his desire to finally live up to the pre-draft hype:
"Yall crazy if yall don’t think im wrecking havoc on that field this year," (sic) Jackson posted on his Instagram account.
It's not the wrong mindset to have. Jackson is entering a contract year, so any bounce-back campaign would help ensure he cashes in when he hits free agency for the first time in his pro career.
But, it's not likely to happen with the Niners.
True, San Francisco bade farewell to veteran edge defender Leonard Floyd in a cost-saving move earlier this offseason, yet the fact it pursued Floyd in the first place a year ago pretty much revealed team sentiments about Jackson's future. Additionally, the 49ers onboarded former Carolina Panthers edge defender Yetur Gross-Matos as a reclamation project, and he still remains on the Niners roster.
Tack on the Round 1 selection of Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams at No. 11 overall, and it's painfully clear the Niners don't see Jackson as anything more than a reserve situational pass-rusher at this point, competing at best with Gross-Matos for a spot on the depth chart.
Jackson still has a chance to crack San Francisco's 53-man roster after training camp, yes. But, it certainly doesn't seem as if the 49ers are banking on that.
Should Jackson find himself part of the Niners' post-camp cuts, it'll be awfully difficult for him to land a new gig after such a frustrating start to his pro career.
