SANTA CLARA — Javon Kinlaw wasn’t the 49ers’ only defensive star Saturday night in Minnesota. As Kinlaw walked off the U.S. Bank Stadium field, he did so with Drake Jackson.
“You got young Drake right here. Baller!” Kinlaw shouted to a reporter.
Jackson, the 49ers’ top draft pick this year, made a slew of plays in the 17-7 win over the Vikings. It wasn’t just as a pass rusher, nor will it be going forth if he’s to make an impact on arguably the NFL’s fiercest defensive front.
“We always tell our guys you have to earn the right to rush the passer, and you earn the right to rush the passer by stopping the run,” defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said Monday. “So you’ve got to pay the price, and he’s done that.”
Jackson, a secord-round pick from USC, cashed in with two tackles on run plays against the Vikings. Both came by hustling to the ball carrier. It’s notable that his second tackle came midway through the third quarter — in a preseason game the 49ers kept almost all their starters out of uniform.
“He’s doing some good things,” coach Kyle Shanahan said after Saturday’s game. “I was glad to see him play out there, played a lot more than he did the last week, and, from what I hear, he’s getting healthy.”
He heard right. And Jackson relished the extra action. He played 14 snaps in the preseason opener before leaving with a shoulder stinger from chasing down Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Against the Vikings, Jackson played twice as much (28 snaps) against the Vikings, and that came after valuable reps in joint practices earlier last week.
“It was pretty tight, I’m not going to lie,” Jackson said of the game at his locker afterward. “I got to finish the game and that’s all we can ask for, to finish it healthy.”
Here’s Drake Jackson’s tape from last night
The eventual pairing of Nick Bosa and Drake Jackson will be a nightmare for offensive lines for years to come 😈 #49ers pic.twitter.com/Hgat7jyejs
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) August 21, 2022
At this rate, Jackson could be lining up opposite Pro Bowler Nick Bosa on the starting front rather than pass-rush specialist Samson Ebukam. Other defensive ends in the rotation are Kerry Hyder Jr., Kemoko Turay, Jordan Willis, and Charles Omenihu.
“He’s really disruptive. This game he showed his physicality in the run and pass game. He was super disruptive,” Arik Armstead said of Jackson. “He definitely has a bright future and I’m definitely excited to take the field with him to see what he can do to help us win.”
It’s not just Jackson’s ability to defend both the run and the pass that makes him so promising. His athleticism is eye-poppingly unique. Coaches, teammates and personnel evaluators rave about his flexibility, and that athleticism translates into his Instagram handle: “The Freak.”
“Every time I’m out there, I figure out something new that I can further use,” Jackson said.
Flash back to Saturday’s first series that ended in a George Odum interception. Jackson lined up at right defensive end, slipped as he cut inside to twist pass-rush lanes with Kinlaw, and then Jackson plowed toward Kellen Mond to pressure a pass that landed in Odum’s grasp.
“You see some guys who may hit the ground or get tripped up, and they’re done, out of the play. Drake is unique in he still finds a way,” Ryans said. “Even if he’s falling, he’ll work his way to the quarterback. Most guys don’t have that athletic ability. That’s just God-given ability. It’s not something you coach or teach.”
Jackson’s flexibility extends all the way to his footwork, and that is a sneaky asset, according to Tim Ryan, the 49ers’ broadcast analyst and a former USC defensive lineman himself.
“He’s always in a play because of his ability to still maneuver and make plays,” Ryans added. “Even when you think he should be out of it, in some kind of way he pops up and is still able to make a play.”
Neither Jackson nor Kinlaw got the 49ers’ ceremonial game ball for Saturday’s efforts, but both endorsed the player Shanahan chose to honor: Alfredo Gutierrez, a second-year offensive tackle who was born in Tijuana, Mexico, and arrived via the NFL’s international-player portal.
“That’s a beautiful scene,” Jackson said of Gutierrez’s NFL debut Saturday. “When I had a problem a few weeks ago, he was right there by my side, making sure I was cool and everything. Big ups to him for getting in there and getting some playing time.
“I’ve gone against Alfredo many a times, because usually they put the rookies toward the end and we’re going against each other. We work, that’s all we do. He’s getting better, I’m getting better. You can see his progress and that’s really beautiful.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com