Drake Jackson Faces Increased Pressure Going into 2023

When the 49ers drafted Drake Jackson in 2022 at the end of the second round, it was viewed as a tremendous steal. 

Taking an impact pass rusher in Jackson out of USC who could have easily gone earlier in the draft felt like immense value. However, Jackson never came close to feeling like a steal once the 2022 NFL season came around. 

More times than not, Jackson was more of a ghost than he was a contributor. It's why towad the end of the regular season the 49ers ended up making him a healthy scratch. Kyle Shanahan cited that strength was an issue with Jackson as the season went on. Expectations were always high for Jackson going into 2023 as the 49ers need him to pan out to hit their return on investment. Not to mention they need another solid edge rusher who can be complimentary to Nick Bosa. 

But now Jackson faces increased pressure to produce in 2023 thanks to defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Wilks spoke about Jackson's rookie season at his introductory press conference on May 13 where he ended up adding more weight to the pressure that Jackson will have.

“A lot of inconsistency, I saw a lot of talent, a lot of skillset," said Wilks. "But someone that needs to really, as I just talked about, get a little stronger, get a little bigger and he's working hard, so I'm looking forward to him once again, taking that sophomore leap. That second year and really improving and doing some good things."

Oh boy. It's really going to be such a letdown and criticism coming Jackson's way if he does not become a stud. He doesn't need to be on a Pro Bowl caliber level, although the 49ers would love that, but he needs to be a player who can make several impactful plays per game. The fact that Jackson will be primarily playing on passing downs only emphasizes it more. Opportunities will be there for him to get to the quarterback and disrupt the play.

I would bet the 49ers won't be impressed if he does look sweet in the first half of the season. They will be holding their breath to see if Jackson sustains it as the season continues. This has been the biggest gripe the 49ers have with Jackson is his strength and being able to sustain it for the duration of a 17 game season. If Jackson starts to fall off, then he is in major trouble. Playing for the 49ers means a player needs to be ready for a 20 game season since they're always making deep playoff runs. 

The last thing the 49ers want is for a player who looks good early on, then just tapers off towards the end. Jackson cannot slip up this season. He was taken high by the 49ers for a reason and he needs to produce. Luckily, he still has time to continue to build himself up this offseason, and it is something that Wilks and the 49ers love to see. 

"Drake has been here all spring working out, doing the things that he needs to do to improve his game. He's gained a lot of weight, he's in there with (Kris) Kocurek (defensive line coach) and I'm just excited to see exactly what he's going to do and how he's going to progress in his second year."