Jobless former 49ers top draft pick may be forced into early retirement

At times, there were glimpses of greatness from former San Francisco 49ers defensive end Drake Jackson, their top selection from the 2022 NFL Draft, taken in Round 2 out of USC.

Despite being played out of position for much of his collegiate career, the Niners getting him at No. 61 overall was seen as a steal at the time, and the then-rookie defender made a modest impact out of the gate, registering eight passes broken up at the line of scrimmage that year, paired with three sacks.

Yet Jackson's conditioning was a problem, and he turned into a weekly healthy scratch late in 2022 and even missed playoff games as a result.

Then, a year later, what appeared to be a fully recharged Jackson kicked off the regular season with a bang, recording three sacks in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Turns out, those would be the only sacks registered over the entirety of 2023.

Injuries and underperformance may have doomed Drake Jackson's career

A knee injury ultimately landed Jackson on injured reserve later than year in November, and eventual surgery and setbacks also prevented him from seeing the field at all in 2024.

By that point, San Francisco's subsequent investments in edge rushers like Yetur Gross-Matos (a 2024 free-agent pickup) and Mykel Williams (a 2025 Round 1 draftee) all but signaled the end of Jackson's tenure in the Bay Area.

The 49ers released him mere days after the 2025 draft concluded after a failed physical.

Since, the 24 year old has garnered zero known interest from the 31 other teams across the league. Rumors and reports of any interest haven't surfaced, and it appears as if the remainder of the NFL is more than just cautious about an injury-plagued defender who flamed out relatively quickly in the two seasons where he was given a chance to make an impact.

Granted, Jackson might command some modest interest as training camp, preseason and regular-season games lead to injuries around the league, perhaps receiving a tryout or consideration for a spot on a practice squad.

That said, the lack of interest to date is probably the best indication of where his NFL career is heading, and it's awfully disappointing.