SANTA CLARA -- Drake Jackson is already turning heads in his first few weeks with the 49ers.
The second-round pick is already receiving attention from defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans and his teammates only a few weeks into his NFL career. Apparently, defensive line coach Kris Kocurek isn’t the only one who has noticed Jackson soaking in everything like a sponge.
Jackson has been diligent in the classroom, learning as much as he can to help make his transition to the league as smooth as possible. The veterans in the room -- Arik Armstead, Nick Bosa and Samson Ebukam -- have noticed his eagerness to take notes and learn from them.
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“If he keeps working, keeps getting in there with Kocurek and learning from Bosa, Arik and Samson,” Ryans said on Wednesday, “diving in and really detailing out his job, Drake has a chance to be a really good player for us. The sky is the limit for him, he just has to keep working, keep improving daily.”
Ebukam is a willing mentor for the young pass rusher. The six-year veteran has noticed the 21-year-old's diligence throughout OTAs. While there's a lot of competition amongst the very deep defensive line room, there's also a common goal of everyone improving.
“He’s able to click in and listen to what others are saying, because in that room, people are selfless,” Ebukam said. “Whenever we see something, anybody doing something wrong, we will tell them, 'We might be able to tweak like this, then maybe you can get off quicker.'
“Everyone just kinds of buys in, and he’s one of those because he knows it’s his first year, so whatever people say, he’s applying it to the field.”
San Francisco 49ers
Ryans sees the rookie as a high-value pick. Like Bosa, the defensive coordinator was surprised someone with Jackson’s level of talent was still available at No. 61 in the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, the work continues to prepare the young pass rusher for the speed of the NFL.
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Ebukam believes Jackson will see a good deal of success in his debut season. The veteran also sees the acquisition of a talented pass rushing counterpart as a benefit to himself.
“Dang, he’s good,” Ebukam said. “He’s going to be a key factor in this defense. Because I’ve been seeing him run all of the drills and I’m just like, he’s athletic, he’s big, he’s got young legs, so he’s able to just keep going all day. Me seeing him do it, I’m just like yeah, I’ve got somebody who can push me. He’s pushing me, he’s going to push others as well.
The cliché “iron sharpens iron” is in full effect in the defensive line room. If the group stays healthy, it again will be one of the top pass rushing and run stopping units in the league.