With the focus on the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, another San Francisco 49er made a stealth move in Week 1 of the 2023 season. Everyone seemed to forget about former USC Trojan Drake Jackson.
After one game this season, Jackson already has matched the number of sacks he registered in 15 games during his entire rookie season.
The second-year defensive end recorded three sacks against quarterback Kenny Pickett in the 49ers’ 30-7 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“We was hunting,” Jackson said after the game. “I didn’t really have anything going through my mind, if we’re being honest. But we’re always hunting, so I got a hunter’s mentality. If I see somebody running, I got to go get him. So I seen him breaking out, and I want to just get him down before he could throw a pass or scramble because he is a good scrambler.”
Jackson recorded 103 tackles, 25 tackles for a loss, 12.5 sacks, and two interceptions through three seasons with the Trojans over his career.
Year 2 Drake Jackson already on a whole other level. 😤 #FTTB pic.twitter.com/qlu8lFncAQ
— FoN9ne (@FoN9ne) September 12, 2023
Check out our Pac-12 football predictions roundtable for the 2023 season.