The San Francisco 49ers selected Drake Jackson of USC in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday evening with the 61st overall pick.
The 6-foot-3, 254-pound defensive end/linebacker played in 27 games in three seasons for the Trojans, accumulating 12.5 sacks and 25 tackles for a loss.
Jackson fills a need for the Niners after defensive end Arden Key signed a one-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars in March, and with Dee Ford coming off an injury-shortened 2021-22 season. Key had 6.5 sacks last season despite playing just 35% of the plays, while Ford isn't expected back from the upcoming season.