5 players who did not live up to 49ers expectations in 2022

49ers EDGE Drake Jackson didn’t live up to expectations

It’s pretty fair to keep most rookies off lists like these, especially on teams like the Niners who were loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and had little room for upstart players trying to cut their proverbial teeth.

But Danny Gray made this list. So will San Francisco’s top pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, EDGE Drake Jackson.

In fairness, Jackson had a solid impact early on. The sack numbers weren’t necessarily there, but his ability to get a hand up and knock down a pass was. In total, Jackson swatted down eight passes over the year and even managed three sacks.

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Yet both of those numbers were heavily skewed toward the beginning of the season. And for a 49ers team that lacked pass-rushing prowess behind All-Pro EDGE Nick Bosa, who led the league with 19.5 sacks, one would only hope the Niners had gotten more from their second-round pick, Jackson.

Jackson became a weekly inactive down the stretch, and Kyle Shanahan more or less told reporters it was because of the rookie’s conditioning (or lack thereof).

Round 2 picks aren’t necessarily first-round pedigree types, but they’re still expected to contribute heavily.

Jackson didn’t quite deliver in that regard.