The 49ers have a terrifying D-line if Drake Jackson keeps this up

The 49ers had all the reason in the world to rave about Drake Jackson after Sunday’s 30-7 beatdown of the Steelers.

The second-year defensive end racked up three sacks in Pittsburgh, drawing compliments on his offseason improvement from Kyle Shanahan, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. He had only three sacks in his entire rookie season last year.

But there was another big reason to celebrate Jackson’s performance, which Bosa hinted at while speaking with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer after Sunday’s win.

“I kind of say this every year, just because of how confident I am in our [front office and coaches] and the players that we have,” Bosa said. “But adding [Javon] Hargrave and Clelin [Ferrell] and a few of the other guys, I just knew that we were going to be back talent-wise to 2019. Or, I think, better even with depth. It was tough to not be a part of it [during training camp], because every year we’re expecting to go the whole way.”

The year he referenced wasn’t just the season the Niners last reached the Super Bowl; it was the last time Bosa didn’t lead the Niners in sacks while fully healthy. Over the past couple of seasons, the 25-year-old’s immense talent has masked the reality that San Francisco’s defensive line is otherwise lackluster, and the gap between Bosa and his linemates has only grown.

Take last year’s sack numbers as an example. Bosa led the team, and the NFL, with 18.5, but there was a huge gap between him and Samson Ebukam, who had the second-highest total on the Niners with a whopping five sacks. In 2021, he more than doubled his next-best teammates’ totals, recording 15.5 sacks while Arden Key and Arik Armstead got 6.5 and 6 sacks, respectively.

The thin pass rush opposite Bosa was a major concern as he held out — and part of why he ultimately got paid. Even with a new deal, this was still a major question for San Francisco as the team headed to Pittsburgh with its star end on a capped snap count.

This is part of why the Niners signed Javon Hargrave, who had 11 sacks with the Eagles last season. Bosa and Hargrave combined for only one sack Sunday, but their mere presence wreaks havoc and creates chances for Jackson. He just has to be opportunistic.  

Jackson doesn’t have to keep the 51-sack season pace he’s on to make this the most dangerous defensive line the Niners have fielded since Bosa was drafted. All five of the highest-graded players on the Niners’ defense on Sunday were on the defensive line, according to Pro Football Focus. Bosa, without a sack, came out with the highest grade at 85.5. Clelin Ferrell, Kevin Givens, Hargrave and Jackson rounded out the remaining five in that order.

There’s also Armstead, who had the honor of beating out Bosa as the team’s sack leader in 2019. The ninth-year defensive tackle was the reason Jackson got his first sack to begin with, after Armstead ate Steelers center Mason Cole alive.

Moving forward, it looks as though this defensive line leaves opponents with just a couple of terrifying options. In the past, teams could double-team Bosa without fearing the rest of the line, although the double-teams themselves didn’t work that well on Bosa. If Jackson, Hargrave, Armstead, Ferrell and the rest of the rotation are this good, that might not be an option. And the Niners have an excellent linebacking corps and decent secondary; bringing in an extra tight end or back to block only makes life easier for them.

Jackson could revert to his erratic rookie self, and a key rotational piece could always get hurt. But right now, the Niners look like they have their best defensive front in years.