Does Drake Jackson Have a Future With the 49ers?

There was a lot of hope going into 2023 for defensive end Drake Jackson.

The San Francisco 49ers were banking on him to be a complimentary pass rusher opposite of Nick Bosa. Essentially he was to be the new Dee Ford as the pass rushing specialist. The 49ers have been looking for Ford's replacement for four years now.

Some flashes were made by Jackson during his rookie season in 2022, so the 49ers believed that an offseason of getting stronger and polishing his technique would allow him to flourish his second year. Unfortunately, that never occurred. Jackson never was able to gain a foothold on the defense.

That is why the 49ers ended up acquiring Randy Gregory from the Denver Broncos, then Chase Young from the Washington Commanders. Last offseason, I wrote that 2023 was a "make it or break it" year for Jackson, and clearly he didn't make it.

So, does Jackson have a future with the 49ers going into 2024?

Not at all. The faith in Jackson is no longer there from the 49ers, and I don't see how they are going to wait for him to develop anymore. It would've been one thing if Jackson showed something in 2023, but that wasn't the case.

If he had, then the 49ers probably do not trade for Gregory and/or Young last season. It is also why the 49ers signed Leonard Floyd. They no longer want to wait for a pass rushing specialist, so they went out and got one. I don't even see Jackson becoming a role player to any degree.

2024 will be an interesting one for him given how he's now an afterthought with no future on the team.