Drake Jackson joined the 49ers with high expectations as the No. 61 overall pick of 2022 NFL Draft, but things have not gone as planned.
Now entering his second professional season, Jackson has a turned over a new leaf and is ready to show he is capable of being productive through an entire 17-game NFL season.
"I feel like it happened for a reason," Jackson said. "They sat me down to help me understand something that I didn't understand before. I have really good coaches, so I really relied on them, talking to them. I relied on God and talked to my family about it.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"They told me this is something you got to overcome."
Jackson hit the ground running as a rookie, recording three quarterback sacks in his first six NFL games. San Francisco coaches and several defensive lineman praised the USC product’s physical ability. Even Nick Bosa shared how impressed he was by Jackson’s "bend."
Then, as the season wore on, Jackson played less and less, was inactive two of the last three regular-season games and did not get on the field during the NFL playoffs.
Instead of it letting it get him down, Jackson used it as a learning experience to catapult him into his second season with momentum. The 22-year-old made a deal with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek to be at the facility as soon as he was allowed, to add weight to his frame without losing his fluidity and ability to get around the edge.
San Francisco 49ers
"It's like perspective," Jackson said. "You can look at it from two sides. You can look at it as you’re being penalized or you can find something from it. I found something from it, and that’s really what it was."
Jackson used his time on bench during games to watch the veterans in his position group on and off the field. As a rookie he took notes of what their routines were, and how they used their physical skill sets to excel on the field.
Now, the expectation is that Jackson will be able to help make up for his former teammates who left in free agency, like Samson Ebukam, who now is with the Indianapolis Colts, Charles Omenihu, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, and Jordan Willis, who is now a Las Vegas Raider.
"Me being able to watch them, and not actually be in a game playing at the same time, I got to sit back and see," Jackson said. "He's getting off like this, this is how he throws his hands, this is how many steps he's taking.
"Just simple stuff like that, that I wouldn’t see while I was playing with them, unless I was watching film. Because when you’re playing, you have to do your own thing."
Jackson, now approximately 13 pounds heavier than he was last season, is excited to put what he has learned to the test. The 49ers' coaching staff and fans alike, are hoping to see the consistency that could lead to a promising future for the second-round draft pick.