49ers draft OLB Drake Jackson with No. 61 pick

The San Francisco 49ers went linebacker with their first pick this year, selecting Drake Jackson with the 61st pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. He played three seasons with the USC Trojans and played plenty of snaps at both defensive end and outside linebacker. Jackson was a highly-rated prospect out of high school as he gets his NFL career going.

Scouting Report

Jackson brings a great deal of athleticism with him to the professional game, and he has an opportunity to get bigger early in his NFL career. Jackson will need to add some muscle, which shouldn’t be much of an issue, and he will need to play a much bigger role in stopping the run than he did in college. Jackson should create opportunities for big plays in the backfield, but his game can get to the next level if he commits to improvements in the running game.

Career statistics

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