5 biggest takeaways from 49ers’ 2022 mandatory minicamp

Takeaway No. 3: Drake Jackson looks promising but likely will be part of 49ers committee

San Francisco didn’t have a first-round selection in the draft this year, but it’s fair to wonder if EDGE Drake Jackson could have been picked on Thursday night if USC didn’t try to play him as a linebacker, which plummeted his draft stock and allowed the 49ers to take him in Round 2.

Make no mistake, Jackson isn’t a guy you play in coverage. You tee him off on the quarterback and let him do his thing.

Jackson has impressed in the minicamp, wowing people with his athleticism and was responsible for the pressure that caused Trey Lance to throw the one interception all minicamp that was his fault (more on that later).

With that being said, we’ve seen impressive things from other EDGEs on the roster, too, like Samson Ebukam and Kemoko Turay, as well as Kerry Hyder returning to the team after one season with the Seattle Seahawks.

Jackson will work on his run defense and will have plenty of excellent run stuffers to learn from as he does. Until we see that improve, however, I doubt we see Jackson on the field other than third downs or obvious passing situations.

But with that said, this is exactly the sort of start we want to see from Jackson. He’s doing what he does best, and he doesn’t have to start this season, so his development doesn’t have to be rushed.