The San Francisco 49ers have had their fair share of draft busts in recent seasons, but one that still lingers is now getting a second chance.
Defensive end Drake Jackson looks like he is finally going to debut with the Washington Commanders.
Jackson was activated from IR and added to Washington's 53-man roster and looks like he should be ready to go for the Commanders' game on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Niners selected Jackson in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The hope when they drafted him was that he could grow into a worthy counterpart to edge rusher Nick Bosa on the opposite end of the defensive line.
That's not quite how things worked out.
Jackson appeared in 15 games his rookie season and played alright, recording three sacks in 15 games played with 14 combined tackles and even one interception.
He then began his 2023 campaign in incredible fashion as he sacked Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett three times in Week 1 and looked like he was primed for a huge breakout season.
Things went south thereafter, though, as he recorded no more sacks that season and was placed on IR in November. He spent all of 2024 recovering from patellar tendon surgery and was eventually let go by the Niners in May of 2025.
It took some time, but general manager Adam Peters of the Commanders decided to take another chance on Jackson. Peters was with the Niners when they drafted Jackson, so he was well aware of his potential and clearly felt there might be something left in the tank.
We'll see if that ends up being the case, and if Jackson does end up living up to his potential, the Niners may be kicking themselves for letting him go, given the state of the defensive line.
Bosa is out for the year with a torn ACL, as is rookie Mykel Williams. San Francisco is having to rely on veteran castaways like Bryce Huff, Keion White, and Clelin Ferrell to put together some sort of pass rush.
Ferrell has been a surprising presence on the D-line, but the 49ers are clearly struggling to get any sort of meaningful pressure on the quarterback.
There are no more reinforcements coming, though. The Niners will have to make due with what they have, but there will certainly be some 49ers fans and people within the organization who are eager to see how Jackson will fare in his first NFL action since 2023.