Ranking 49ers 10 most important players entering 2022

The 2022 season will be here before you know it, and in preparation, let’s take a look at the 10 most important 49ers players this season.

The San Francisco 49ers are coming off of one of the strangest seasons in recent memory, going from calls to bench the team’s starting quarterback all the way to the NFC Championship game.

Now, they are preparing to run it back, but with a very different-looking team. Regardless, the Niners still have a chance to be one of the NFL’s best teams again this year entering 2022.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 10 most important players on San Francisco’s roster going into the season.

No. 10: 49ers EDGE Drake Jackson

Drake Jackson, the 49ers’ 2022 second-round pick out of USC, is the only rookie to make this list. But don’t let that minimize his importance.

Jackson could easily be much higher on this list. The reason he is at No. 10 is his importance is based on potential and he has yet to play in a Niners uniform.

The rookie was drafted to be San Francisco’s complement to star pass-rusher Nick Bosa (more on him later) and has all the athleticism and tools to do it. The 49ers have struggled in recent seasons to find a partner for Bosa, and because of that, teams have been able to double-team Bosa, limiting his effectiveness. Considering how effective Bosa has been even with these double teams, the thought of what Bosa can be without being double-teamed is truly terrifying.

And that is where Jackson’s true importance lies.

If Jackson can become a true pass-rushing threat, he can allow Bosa to be the game wrecker he is and take the defense to an even higher level than it reached last season. Jackson is one of the 10 most important players because of not only what he can do for the Niners defense if he reaches his potential but also for what he can unlock for Bosa and the rest of San Francisco’s elite defensive unit.