The 49ers in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft selected USC defensive end Drake Jackson. While they had perhaps some more glaring needs on their roster, adding another defensive end makes a ton of sense for San Francisco.
First there’s the matter of positional value. The 49ers need some help on the offensive line, but with the top centers off the board and other interior lineman potentially available in the third round, San Francisco added a pass rusher that’ll help spearhead their most important defensive unit.
The roster itself needed some additional depth at defensive end though. While pass rush doesn’t jump out as a need, there’s not at on of quality at DE on their roster. Nick Bosa is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and Samson Ebukam came on strong over the second half of last season. After that it’s dicey with players like Jordan Willis, Kerry Hyder and Kemoko Turay.
Jackson gives them a little bit of a project player with good size (6-3, 254 pounds) and a ton of talent. His quickness jumps off the screen when watching him, and it’s easy to see how that athleticism could quickly translate into a dangerous edge rusher.
If Jackson can add a handful of sacks as a rookie while developing into more of an every-down player in the following years, this will be an extremely valuable selection for the 49ers.