The San Francisco 49ers have become one of the NFL’s most consistent and well-rounded franchises over the past decade, thanks to their elite drafting and extraordinary player development. They have excelled at roster construction, including selecting their current franchise quarterback, Brock Purdy, in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, one of their top picks from that draft will miss the entire upcoming season after the team placed him on the season-ending injured reserve on Thursday.
According to Field Yates of ESPN, the 49ers will place defensive end Drake Jackson, the 61st pick in the 2022 NFL draft, on the reserve/PUP, ending his season. The NFC West club continues to struggle with health issues as they approach their Saturday preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans. Most notably, star running back Christian McCaffrey is nursing a calf injury sustained earlier this week. He remains unlikely to play this preseason.
San Francisco 49ers DE Drake Jackson: Missing 2024 Season
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With Thursday’s news of Drake Jackson headed to the reserve/PUP list, the defensive end will not play this season. Jackson suffered a season-ending knee injury last year, missing the team’s final 12 games, including their playoff run to the Super Bowl. The six-foot-four, 275-pounder underwent knee surgery in January while entering training camp on the physical unable to perform list (PUP). However, Thursday’s move permanently places Jackson on the PUP, ending his season.
The #49ers have placed DE Drake Jackson on reserve/PUP and he is now out for the 2024 season, per @FieldYates pic.twitter.com/6QMYTsS31a
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) August 8, 2024
Jackson played collegiately for the USC Trojans, registering 103 tackles, 25 TFLs, and 12.5 sacks in three seasons before the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. A three-time second-team Pac-12 honoree, Jackson played a reserve role during his rookie campaign, tallying 14 tackles, three TFLs, and three sacks. However, despite receiving zero starts in 15 appearances, he accumulated a staggering eight passes defended and a pick.
Jackson appeared in eight games during the 2023 campaign before going down with a season-ending knee injury. He posted seven tackles, two TFLs, three sacks, and one pass defended during that stretch. Jackson was projected to carve out a role alongside fellow edge rushers Nick Bosa, Leonard Floyd, and Yetur Gross-Matos next fall before landing on the reserve/PUP list.
San Francisco 49ers: Edge Rusher Depth
![BREAKING: San Francisco 49ers Lose Former 2nd Round Pick for 2024 Season - REPORT 2 San Francisco 49ers](https://gridironheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_21787381_168400517_lowres-1.webp)
This offseason, the San Francisco 49ers inked edge rusher Leonard Floyd to a two-year, $20 million deal to pair with fellow defensive end and superstar Nick Bosa. San Francisco also houses Yetur Gross-Matos, a former 2020 second-round pick who played the past four seasons with the Carolina Panthers. However, with the injury to Drake Jackson, San Francisco will likely lean on Robert Beal Jr. or Alex Barrett as a potential backup alongside Gross-Matos.
Beal Jr., a fifth-round pick from last year’s draft, appeared in four games last season, totaling five tackles, one TFL, and a sack. Meanwhile, Barrett saw action in seven games with the 49ers in 2023, posting five tackles.
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