Drake Jackson Selected With the No. 61 Pick By the San Francisco 49ers in the 2022 NFL Draft

Drake Jackson became the second USC Trojan off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft as the standout edge defender was selected No. 61 by the San Francisco 49ers. He was the 29th selection of the second round.

Jackson began the 2021 season as an expected first-round pick by many mock drafts. He slipped into the second and third rounds during the season and into the offseason. But those pass-rushing skills of his never went anywhere.

Jackson burst onto the scene as a tremendous true freshman for the Trojans. As a defensive end, he recorded 46 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three pass deflections and a forced fumble. Jackson played outside linebacker the next two seasons and his production dipped. He had 20 tackles, 2 sacks and an interception in the 6-game 2020 season. He followed that with 37 tackles, five sacks, an interception and a forced fumble as a junior in 2021.

Throughout his career, Jackson flashed an elite ability to rush the passer. He made a couple of game-winning plays against Arizona State and Arizona in 2020 and seemed to always have a big play in games USC won. His sack and forced fumble against Washington State this past season led to a defensive touchdown in a big comeback win for the Trojans.

Jackson never seemed completely comfortable dropping into coverage when he moved to outside linebacker. But he did so with the understanding that it would help him show his versatility for NFL scouts. It’ll be very interesting to see what specific role he’s given in the NFL and what he’s asked to do.

According to David Lombardi, who covers the 49ers for The Athletic, this landing spot is good news for Jackson.

Lombardi tweeted that the 49ers “are going to want an ultra-athletic edge rusher roaring off the line and toward QBs.”

Jackson’s Path to the Draft

Jackson came to USC as a huge addition in the 2019 recruiting class. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 49 overall recruit in the country. It was a decision that came down to USC and Arizona State and the Trojans benefitted greatly from his presence on defense.

He dropped weight after his freshmen year and was listed on the USC roster at 250 pounds for his junior season. While training for the draft, Jackson bulked up to around 270 pounds before dropping down to 254 for the NFL Combine. He said he wanted to be lighter because he’d be working out with the linebackers.

About a month later, Jackson was up to 273 pounds for the USC pro day. The extra weight should help Jackson work against the run in the NFL. That was a key point for Jackson to improve upon, according to evaluators. Though, in leading up to the draft, many thought he had improved on that this past season.

One member of the Jackson family will be especially thrilled. The 49ers are Jackson’s grandmother’s favorite team, which he revealed during interviews at the NFL Combine.

The 49ers did not have a first-round selection in this draft after trading up for quarterback Trey Lance last year. That makes Jackson their first pick this year.

USC in the NFL Draft

Jackson is USC’s 517th NFL draft pick all time. He is the first USC defensive player taken of the draft’s first two rounds in the past four years. That dates back to Uchenna Nwosu going in the second round of the 2018 draft.

He joins wide receiver Drake London as drafted Trojans so far this season. London was chosen as the draft’s eighth overall selection.