A former second-round pass rusher out of USC, Drake Jackson is working his way back after two years lost to a torn patellar tendon.
Drake Jackson looked like a rising pass-rush talent with the 49ers before a devastating knee injury wiped out most of two seasons. Now with Washington, he is finally back on the field, trying to recapture the form that made him a second-round pick out of USC in 2022.
Path to the league
Jackson started as a true freshman at USC in 2019, recording 46 tackles and 5.5 sacks in his debut season, and earned three-time second-team All-Pac-12 honors over his three-year college career. The San Francisco 49ers drafted him in the second round, 61st overall, in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Jackson's best NFL moment came in Week 1 of the 2023 season, when he recorded three sacks against Pittsburgh in a 30-7 win. That season was cut short by patellar tendon surgery in November 2023, and he missed the entire 2024 season recovering before San Francisco waived him in May 2025.
2025 season recap
Jackson signed with Washington in October 2025 and worked his way back from injured reserve, finally making his season debut in Week 16. He signed a one-year contract extension with the Commanders in March 2026 as he continues rebuilding after two years largely lost to injury.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Drake Jackson
- ESPN: Drake Jackson
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
3 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | commanders | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 49ers | 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | 49ers | 15 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive End
- Group
- defense
- College
- USC
- Hometown
- Corona, CA, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
