Nick Bosa on 49ers DE Drake Jackson's emergence: ‘He's going to be dangerous’
When Drake Jackson totaled three sacks in the San Francisco 49ers' dominant road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, it served as the culmination of the rigorous work the USC product put in during the offseason to change his body and be more productive on the field.
"He's worked his tail off all offseason," linebacker Fred Warner said. "And for him to come out and have a game like that, it's such a big confidence booster for himself. And we're going to need it all season. We need everybody to play a big role on this defense. And I was so happy for him."
Jackson played 27 defensive snaps against Pittsburgh, and along with the three sacks, he finished with two tackles for loss. Jackson had three sacks total his entire rookie season last year.
"One of the biggest things is probably my body," Jackson told the team's website when asked about his fast start to 2023. "I changed my body up during the offseason, trying to get bigger. I lifted more weights to get my weight up. And just focusing on my body in general."
Jackson added 20 pounds of bulk to help him better manage the wear and tear of an NFL season. And so far, that diligent work has paid off for the 2022 second-round selection and for the 49ers.
The Niners lost two talented pass rushers in free agency: Samson Ebukam signed with the Indianapolis Colts and Charles Omenihu with the Kansas City Chiefs. But early on, Jackson and free-agent addition Clelin Ferrell have capably filled the void for San Francisco.
Those two edge rushers have partnered with three of the best defensive linemen in the league in reigning Defensive Player of the year Nick Bosa and defensive tackles Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave to give San Francisco one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL.
"These guys are unique," new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said during training camp about his line. "And when I say I haven't been around a group like this, that's what I mean, a group.
"I mean, we have depth, and it's not when one guy comes out that you feel like, OK, we're going to drop off. No, not at all. So the depth that we have across the board, inside and out, man, that's what I'm talking about. Never been around anything like this."
The 49ers wreaked havoc against Pittsburgh up front, combining for 30 quarterback pressures, according to Next Gen Stats. Jackson and Hargrave led the group with five each, followed by Bosa, Armstead and Ferrell with three apiece.
Jackson generated the most pressure and consistently got home because he received the most single blocks among the starting front four. Hargrave faced double teams 73.3% of the time, followed by Armstead (53.6%), Bosa (43.5%) and Jackson (12.5%).
"I was watching tape throughout the holdout," Bosa told reporters after the Pittsburgh game when asked about Jackson. "I mean it was clear as day that he's made strides. With his work ethic, his preparation and all his moves, he's really been detailed. He's put on some weight, and he's still moving like he moves. So he's going to be dangerous."
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San Francisco showed that its defense remains one of the most dangerous units in the NFL. The 49ers started the game with five straight three-and-outs, held the Steelers to 239 total yards and finished with five sacks.
Still, coach Kyle Shanahan believes there's more meat on the bone for Jackson and his defense to improve in the upcoming weeks, which is a scary proposition for the 49ers' next opponent — the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium (4:05 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX).
"By no means did we play a perfect game," Shanahan said. "We've got to clean a lot of stuff up. There's a lot of things that we can do better. But our mindset was right.
"Our D came out and they flew to the ball. They have been who they have been, and that was really cool to see that happen with Steve for his first time."
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.