49ers' former top draft pick sees a potential make-or-break year end before it has even started

Drake Jackson's hopes of a breakout season for the San Francisco 49ers last year were dashed by a knee injury, which will now cost him his third year in the league.

Edge rusher Jackson was on Thursday placed on the reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, ending a 2024 season that was viewed by some as a make-or-break year before he even had a chance to start it.

His place on the roster will be taken by safety Tracy Walker, the former Detroit Lion whose signing was reported on Wednesday.

Jackson was the 49ers' top pick in the 2022 draft, taken 61st overall in the second round. It was hoped he could become a long-term starter at defensive end for San Francisco, and an up and down rookie season at least indicated he had the athletic tools and the pass-rush moves to go on to occupy such a role.

He had three sacks in last year's season opener, but a torn patellar tendon saw his campaign end after Week 9.

This latest setback for the former USC defender will increase the likelihood of Jackson failing to live up to his draft slot. A free agent in 2026, Jackson will go into his contract year in 2025 under huge pressure to finally live up to where he was picked

For this season, Jackson's absence for the entirety of the campaign may lead the 49ers to add further depth at a position where they do not have too much behind starters Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd.

Yetur Gross-Matos and Robert Beal Jr. have both enjoyed strong training camps and should play a key role in the 49ers' rotation on the edge, but it would be no surprise to see the Niners give themselves some extra insurance there before the regular-season starts.

Related: 49ers agree deal to sign veteran wide receiver amid uncertainty over Brandon Aiyuk's future