Will Drake Jackson Have a Role on the 49ers in 2024?

Defensive end Drake Jackson will need to hit the ground running once he is done rehabbing from injury.

September 21, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; New York Giants guard Joshua Ezeudu (75) blocks San Francisco 49ers defensive end Drake Jackson (95) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports | Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

One player on the San Francisco 49ers who was not out there on the practice field for the first week of OTAs was defensive end Drake Jackson.

Jackson is currently trying to bounce back from a quadriceps injury that ended his 2023 season. He would miss the final nine games of the season because of the injury and ended up having surgery on it, so it was clearly severe. Until he clears rehabbing, Jackson will be missing in action.

“Drake is still in the rehab process right now. It’s just a matter of getting his knee back. He’s working extremely hard on that," said defensive line coach Kris Kocurek (h/t NBC Sports Bay Area). "That’s the main thing, getting that back and ready to go. He’s been here 24/7, since shortly after the Super Bowl. He was back here going through his rehab process. He is always an inquisitive person in the meeting room, always wanting to know the reasons why. He sits right next to me, actually, so he has stayed on top of it, and it’s just a matter of getting his rehab and getting back as fast as he can.” 

For Jackson's sake, he must hope for a quick recovery. The more time he misses, the more it will only allow the 49ers to create packages without him. He is facing a make-it-or-break-it season in 2024. It isn't impossible for him to sway the coaches in training camp, but it will be tough given how far behind he'll be.

So, will Jackson have a role on the 49ers in 2024?

Yea, his role will be to stand on the sidelines and keep the benches warm for the players who will actually play. I don't see any chance of a role for Jackson that doesn't require multiple players getting injured. At this point, I believe the 49ers have given up on Jackson.

Last offseason was their "all in" hope on him to take a leap. That is why they hyped him up leading up to Week 1 of the regular season where he actually got off to an impressive start. He tallied three sacks in Week 1, but never came close to generating a sack again.

The 49ers pivoted off Jackson fast, which is why they traded for Randy Gregory and eventually for Chase Young. Jackson has no future on the 49ers past this year. All he is for them is depth, and that is what his role will be with zero contributions.