Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
It was amazing for new San Francisco 49ers defensive end
Drake Jackson to hear his name called on Friday night during the second day of the 2022 NFL Draft. His new teammate,
Arik Armstead, announced the pick.
Even more amazing for the 21-year-old defender was having several of his new 49ers teammates, including Armstead and
Nick Bosa, immediately reach out to him.
"It's crazy. I talked to both of them," Jackson said Wednesday morning on KNBR's
Murph & Mac show. "Nick Bosa texted me. Arik Armstead FaceTimed me right after. ...
Trey Lance had called me.
Emmanuel Moseley hit me up. I was astounded. I'm like, 'Damn, this is crazy.' Everybody hitting me up off the team, but they're kind of like legends too. I'm fanboying, but I've got to be professional at the same time."
Jackson wasn't sure the 49ers would draft him. He was hoping for it, though. The defender didn't have much contact with the team until closer to the draft. His 30-player visit came late in the evaluation process.
Jackson to the 49ers may have been destiny, though. He was born and raised in Southern California, and half his family is 49ers fans. He calls being able to stay on the West Coast a "blessed situation."
Among the biggest 49ers fans in his family is his grandmother, Anita Davis.
"It's so wild that this happened because she's been manifesting this since I was in high school," Jackson shared. "She seen a 49ers jersey that had 99 on it, and it had my last name on it. Ever since then, she said, 'That was a sign. I already know you're going to the 49ers.' Ever since the draft started, she was always wishing on the 49ers. ... As soon as it was time, it was just destiny."
While Jackson is expected to eventually fill the
Dee Ford role that the 49ers had once envisioned, the young defensive lineman believes he is versatile enough to play anywhere.
"You can put me anywhere on the front line, and I'm going to get after them and try to make a play," Jackson said. "It doesn't really matter where I was on the field. As long as I was on the field, I'm always just trying to be around the ball, and making plays, and keeping the quarterback unsafe."
Jackson also feels confident in his ability to defend against the run.
"I love stuffing the run," he said. "It's the same thing. It's making a play. Making a TFL is almost like making a sack, in a way. It's the best way to make a play in the backfield. We always said, 'Party in the backfield.' That's where I'm trying to be at."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Jackson below.
The quarterbacks from the 2021 draft class will be linked together and compared for a long time. Most received a significant amount of playing time during their rookie seasons. The one who did not was San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance. He started just two games and spent most of his freshman NFL season learning behind veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
The upcoming season will be different, though. Lance is slated to become the 49ers' full-time starter, with Garoppolo likely to be shipped out of Santa Clara. One ESPN analyst believes Lance has the most to prove among the 2021 first-round quarterback class that also includes Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, and Mac Jones.
"He is the one that has the most to prove because you almost have to prove your
San Francisco 49ers stars Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel are next in line when it comes to expecting a hefty extension from the organization, as both have significantly exceeded expectations en route to potentially becoming highly at their respective positions.
However, while the star players are both from the same class and could garner extensions following their third NFL season, there are some contractual differences between the two situations for the 49ers.
Nick Bosa
Bosa has certainly experienced a journey during his short NFL career, having battled through
With the debate raging in the media and fandom about whether Trey Lance will start this year, an important fact has been lost by some. The team says Lance will start.
That begs several questions.
What kind of quarterback is Trey Lance? What can fans expect from this fledgling play-caller? Can Lance buck the "Shanahan Curse" and win without changing his first name to "Jimmy?"
These are fair questions (Well, maybe the last one is a bit facetious.). With all this in mind, here are five reasons to trust Trey Lance as the 49ers' starting quarterback this season:
He has displayed incredible athletic potential.
Trey Lance's college tape litters the internet. It isn't unusual to discover hours of footage covering all the plays
Last week, ESPN analyst Rob Ninkovich looked at the 2021 rookie quarterback class and stated he expects Trey Lance to make the "biggest jump" in Year 2. Another ESPN analyst, Sam Acho, agrees with that prediction.
Why is Lance the best second-year quarterback, in Acho's opinion? It's because of the weapons around him. The 22-year-old quarterback will have wide receiver Deebo Samuel (assuming the offseason rift can be mended) and tight end George Kittle at his disposal.
"Yes, there was a reason Zach Wilson was the second pick overall last year," Acho said. "There's a reason Trey Lance was third, right? Because he's that good as well."
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