49ers gift Jim Harbaugh the perfect addition for Chargers training camp

One team's trash can be another team's treasure and the LA Chargers know this all too well. After hitting home runs with multiple fliers last season, the Chargers now have the chance to do it again after the San Francisco 49ers parted ways with former second-round pick Drake Jackson.

The 49ers officially waived Jackson on Saturday after a failed physical. Jackson missed the entire 2024 season with a knee injury he suffered during the 2023 season. With a deep edge rusher room, the 49ers opted to give those on the roster a chance and Jackson a chance to make a roster elsewhere.

While failed physicals and entire missed seasons are often a red flag, Jackson is expected to make a full recovery by the start of training camp. With that possibility in mind, the Chargers can afford to view Jackson with rose-colored glasses and should explore the idea of bringing him in to battle for a roster spot in training camp.

Chargers should consider signing Drake Jackson after 49ers release

There is no such thing as too much depth on the defensive line. The Philadelphia Eagles reminded every football fan of that reality in the Super Bowl with a beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chargers' edge rusher room currently runs four people deep with Khalil Mack, Tuli Tuipulotu, Bud Dupree and fourth-round pick Kyle Kennard. Carrying five edge rushers isn't the most common practice on the 53-man roster, but can be done depending on the makeup of the rest of the defense.

With Mack likely playing on some kid of snap count and with Tuipulotu's potential to play inside on pass-rush snaps, there is room for a fifth edge rusher if they earn their keep during training camp. That is exactly what the Chargers should sign Jackson to do.

Jackson had all the potential in the world coming into the league and never got a chance to fully show that potential in San Francisco. Drafted at 22 years old, Jackson was always going to be a slow-starter in the league and this injury simply extended that slow start.

The now-24-year-old has proven that when he is right it can be special. His marquee game came in Week 1 of the 2023 season, where Jackson recorded three sacks on five quarterback pressures against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jackson was a tools-first prospect and it may be hard to bet on someone with that make up when they have missed a season and a half. However, the Chargers have nothing to lose by bringing him in. Worst-case scenario is Jackson is slower and less toosly after the injury and simply doesn't make the 53-man roster.

Best-case scenario is he starts to live up to his pre-draft hype with a team that has an excellent defensive infrastructure in place. If that happens, the Chargers add a valuable member to the edge rusher room who, keep in mind, is only 24 years old.

It's a no-risk, high-reward proposition for the Chargers. These are the kind of moves that general manager Joe Hortiz has made his living off of.