The 49ers have a lot of work to do on the defensive line this offseason, with six players set to become unrestricted free agents next
week.
Some of the expected defensive line losses can be eased by the return of defensive end Drake Jackson, who played only eight games
before suffering season-ending left quadriceps surgery.
Jackson stated that he anticipates returning to full strength during the 49ers’ offseason program.
“I will be out there sometime this spring. “I can’t wait,” Jackson told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I’m going to be ready for training camp,
for sure.”
Jackson will be in his third NFL season after the 49ers selected him in the second round (No. 61 overall) of the 2022 draft out of USC.
He equaled his rookie season sack total with three sacks in the 49ers’ Week 1 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023.
However, Jackson suffered with a leg ailment before being placed on injured reserve at the halfway point of the season. He had
season-ending surgery in early January and spent little time with the 49ers during the playoffs while recovering from physical therapy.
Chase Young, Javon Kinlaw, Kevin Givens, Randy Gregory, and Sebastian Joseph-Day, five defensive lineman who played for the
49ers in the Super Bowl, are set to become free agents.
Furthermore, defensive end Clelin Ferrell’s contract is scheduled to expire after he started all 17 games before his season was cut short
due to a knee injury.
