Drake Jackson is getting noticed in San Francisco.
The USC pass rusher, who did not have a high-impact 2021 season at USC, fell down the draft board. Once viewed as a late-first-round selection, Jackson fell to the back end of the second round. The 49ers picked him up, though, which gave him a very good NFL situation. If a player is going to fall a few dozen spots on the board, the loss of guaranteed, up-front money is still worth it if the situation is good and the fit is right.
The 49ers, with Nick Bosa on their defensive line, have a personnel group which can put Jackson in a position to succeed. The 49ers also coach defensive line play particularly well. It has been a strength of the operation under Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. Jackson might have tumbled on the draft board, but he landed in a good place. It’s not the perfect scenario, but it’s a fair trade. Jackson didn’t go to the Houston Texans or Cleveland Browns.
Now that Jackson is getting his feet wet in his first NFL preseason, analysts are looking closely at his assemblage of skills and traits. NFL analyst Brian Baldinger, a former NFL offensive lineman, is highly impressed.
Check out Brian’s quick-hit analysis of Drake Jackson:
.@49ers @The99Athlete has traits and skills that great pass rushers need. 2 play sample of what those are #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/MIUdnHLL3t
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 13, 2022
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