49ers Draft USC DE Drake Jackson in Round 2
The 49ers chose not to address their subpar offensive line with their first draft pick this year.
Instead, the 49ers added to their already outstanding defensive line by drafting USC edge rusher Drake Jackson. Jackson is a good value for the 49ers at pick 61, and he plays a premium position, but he does not fill a need.
The 49ers most likely drafted Jackson to replace Dee Ford, who has been injured pretty much his entire time on the 49ers. And Jackson will form a terrific edge-rushing duo with Nick Bosa.
But the 49ers already have the following defensive ends: Samson Ebukam, Kemoko Turay, Jordan Willis, Kerry Hyder, Charles Omenihu and Bosa. Jackson is No. 7. Surely all of them won't make the 53-man roster.
Perhaps the 49ers are concerned about their ability to extend Nick Bosa's contract when the time comes. Or perhaps they simply felt Jackson was too good to pass up.
Jackson has an elite combination of length and explosiveness. This past season, he had 25 pressures and 6 sacks in just 173 pass rushing snaps. He needs to add strength to his lower body, so he might not start right away, but he will be a terrific pass-rush specialist. Jackson's ceiling is as high as any edge rusher in this draft. And he gets to work with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who specializes in helping pass rushers reach their potential.
This pick will be a great one if the 49ers manage to address their offensive line in Round 3. The 49ers lost starting left guard Laken Tomlinson in free agency, and starting center Alex Mack is considering retirement. Which means the 49ers' second-best offensive lineman after Trent Williams is Daniel Brunskill. Not good.
It's interesting that the 49ers spent their first pick this year on defense even though their defense has been better than their offense for years and they mostly signed defensive players this offseason.
At some point, the 49ers might want to give Trey Lance some help.
