Which Player Will Step up for the 49ers in the Second Half of the Season?

There is one player who will step up for the 49ers and give them an impact in a much needed way.

The second half of the season will demand the best out of the 49ers.

With only nine games remaining, they have to start getting a rhythm if they're going to build themselves up for a serious playoff run. Acquiring Christian McCaffrey is giving them a massive boost along with the several players returning from injury.

But what about an unexpected player? Everyone knows about the stars on the 49ers giving them a great boost, but there is always at least one player who comes out of nowhere. Last year, that player was arguably Arden Key. He gave the 49ers several impact plays a game which did wonders. This team could use that for the remainder of their schedule. 

Which player will step up for the 49ers in the second half of the season?

I have to go with rookie edge rusher Drake Jackson. With eight games now under his belt, Jackson should be sufficiently experienced to start making more of an impact. In the first half of the season, Jackson showed some promise and had his moments. He is currently sitting on 3 sacks, which is a good start for him since he plays roughly a third of the defensive snaps.

The 49ers could really use a bigger impact from him as a pass rusher for this second half and I think they will get it. He's got some tread on his tires now and the longer he keeps going, the better he should get. Plus, it'll mean he'll be further along with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek who is a wizard at his job. The arrow is point up with Jackson and, if he can start to make his presence felt more, then the defense only will get scarier.

Offenses will need to steer their focus to Nick Bosa as they have been. The opportunities are laid out there for Jackson. And with the 49ers having a huge question mark at cornerback outside of Charvarius Ward, offenses could feel more enticed to throw the football than run it. If that trend picks up, then that could allow DeMeco Ryans to trot out Jackson more often than just obvious passing downs.

When the 49ers drafted Jackson near the end of the second round, it was viewed as a steal because he is someone who could give the 49ers that immediate impact this season. Well now it is time for Jackson to prove that with a half season under his belt as the 49ers push for the playoffs in this second half. The defense is already at an elite level. If Jackson can step it up, then the rich will only get richer.