Texans Urged to Pursue Enticing Former 49ers Pass Rusher

The Houston Texans are already pretty set with their pass rush, as the tandem of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. is one of the NFL's best. Thanks to those two, the Texans finished fourth in the league with 49 sacks last season.

That being said, it is true that Houston does lack edge-rushing depth behind Hunter and Anderson, which is why some wondered if the Texans could take a pass rusher early in the NFL Draft.

Houston chose not to, instead opting to address much larger needs at wide receiver and along its offensive line, but a very intriguing target may have just become available for the Texans on the free-agent market.

The San Francisco 49ers recently released edge rusher Drake Jackson as a result of a failed physical, which comes three years after the 49ers selected him in the second round of the draft.

Ryan Heckman of Toro Times feels that Jackson would represent a great potential option for Houston, especially considering how young he is.

"Now, the Texans could add to their defense with a calculated risk," Heckman wrote. "Signing Jackson might seem scary due to the knee injury he's recovering from. But, if he's healthy, Jackson could pay off in a big way. ... There is a whole lot of untapped potential there, and taking a shot on a player who only recently turned 24 seems like a no-brainer."

Jackson missed all of 2024 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon he suffered in November 2023, but he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

The USC product has totaled 21 tackles, six sacks and nine passes defended through 23 NFL games and amassed 12.5 sacks over the course of three collegiate campaigns with the Trojans.