Drake Jackson-DE-USC, 2nd Round 2022 Draft

Originally posted by IrishCrnjo:
Will be be a LB for us or a DE? He's said to have 4.5 speed.

No no he's a EDGE

I like the bend! Looks like a good bookend!

You know John Lynch...Just when I thought you couldn't be possibly be any dumber...you go and do something like this. AND TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!!!!!!

Basically Ford's replacement, but much cheaper/healthier. I like seeing it.

I don't know much about him. USC has had such poor coaching recently that I'lll give him a pass.

We're down to stems and seeds now so you just hope you can find a bud.

Originally posted by 49ersRing:

Nobody in this draft class has the picture-perfect dip and bend as an edge rusher that Drake Jackson has.

Goes to the 49ers to become their new Dee Ford.

That's an outstanding pick here.

— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) April 30, 2022

This maybe not highest need but still a need and easily BPA.

Originally posted by 49er_Rider:
They said LB Drake Jackson I'm guessing he playing SAM the strong side he is physical

LB as in stand up edge rusher in a 3-4 front.

Sam is an off-ball LB position in our defense. Drake Jackson is an edge rusher.

Love this pick! And he is young! Just scratching the surface. I'm sure he'll learn a ton from Kocurek and Bosa.

10. DRAKE JACKSON | USC 6030 | 273 lbs. | JR. Corona, Calif. (Centennial) 4/12/2001 (age 21.04) #99

BACKGROUND: Drake Jackson, who has four siblings, was born and raised in Harbor City between Torrance and Long Beach, Calif. He was groomed for football at a young age and was coached by his father at the Pop Warner level all the way through middle school. Jackson attended Centennial High, where he got his first taste of varsity action as a late season call-up as a freshman. After posting 29 tackles as a sophomore pass rusher, he finished his junior year with 28 tackles, 6.0 sacks, one forced fumble and an interception to earn League Defensive Lineman of the Year honors. As a senior, Jackson led Centennial to a 12-1 record and 2018 league title with their only loss coming to the eventual state champions Mater Dei (led by QB Bryce Young). He was named a 2018 U.S. Army All-American and earned First Team All-State, All-County, and All-Conference honors with 27 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. A four-star recruit out of high school, Jackson was the No. 3 strongside defensive end in the 2019 recruiting class (No. 56 overall) and the No. 10 recruit in the state of California. He was raised a USC fan by his father and always dreamed of playing for the Trojans. Jackson was considered a strong USC lean, but he had second thoughts when defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze was fired after the 2018 season. His choice came down to the final minute on signing day, sticking with USC over Arizona State, Oregon and Washington. His father (Dennis), who grew up in Compton, played junior college football at Compton College and owns a training facility and coaches high school football. Jackson elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

STRENGTHS: Loose-jointed, twitchy athlete ... varies his rush speeds to get blockers leaning, including a secondary burst to close ... fluid ankle flexion to run the hoop or burst off his plant foot ... his lateral steps are long and sudden to win inside after widening the tackle outside ... has long arms to extend into blockers and keep blockers from latching on ... anticipates quarterback set points and processes movement well ... comfortable spot-dropping and disrupting routes ... has outstanding play range, flashing the speed to chase down from the backside ... his effort level and compete skills are both assets to his game ... showed the willingness to add/shed weight and change positions based on the coaching schemes at USC.

WEAKNESSES: Played light on his junior tape ... needs to develop his play strength and add bulk to his arms and body ... can be controlled in the run game and lacks the power to easily disengage single or double blocks ... his hands aren't heavy ... doesn't have enough force behind his long arms, struggling to create push back or go through blocks ... relies more on speed angles than a complex rush arsenal ... doesn't look comfortable countering with his hands once engaged ... his arc acceleration is better than his average first step ... often arrives too hot and must play under control to improve his finishing rate ... missed two games as a freshman because of a high-ankle sprain (October 2019) and battled through a lower leg injury (November 2021) over the final three games of his junior year.

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at USC, Jackson played the stand-up "B Backer" edge rush position in former defensive coordinator Todd Orlando's hybrid 4-2-5 scheme. His most productive season came as a freshman at 275 pounds, but he shed 35 pounds during quarantine prior to the 2020 season, losing bad weight and transitioning to an outside linebacker role at 240 pounds in the new scheme (weighed 254 at the Combine). Although his initial step can be better, Jackson rushes with outstanding flexibility, length, and arc acceleration along with the instincts to capture the corner or fire back inside. He had average production for a player with his athletic tools, but he tends to be speed-reliant and needs to add more ammo and urgency into his hands. Overall, Jackson is a twitched-up speed rusher with the upside to be disruptive in the NFL if he can develop his play strength and hand/power moves without sacrificing athleticism. He has the upside of an impactful NFL starter but has work to do if he wants to reach that level.

GRADE: 2nd-3rd Round (No. 63 overall)
-Dane Brugler

Originally posted by captveg:
Basically Ford's replacement, but much cheaper/healthier. I like seeing it.

Welcome sir, now let's eat

Never going to be critical when we go with pass rush and this is no exception.

A big bodied run stuffer in the later rounds and our DL will be complete and frickin scary.