Chiefs must throw their name in the hat for former 49ers second-round draft pick who is looking for work
The Kansas City Chiefs have to get bold and go after this free agent pass-rusher.
The Kansas City Chiefs have a pass-rushing problem, and those issues are rarely solved with midseason acquisitions, whether it’s a free-agent addition or a trade. That said, the Chiefs shouldn’t sit on their hands when a real opportunity presents itself.
After missing the 2024 NFL season, Drake Jackson, a former second-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, is looking to make his return to the field. Jackson suffered a serious knee injury in November of 2023, spending the entire 2024 NFL season on the PUP list with the 49ers. He was released by San Francisco back in May, finishing his time with the 49ers with 21 total tackles, six sacks, 30 pressures, and an interception in 23 games played.
Finally healthy enough to return to the field, the former USC Trojan is taking visits with NFL teams in search of his next home.
Jackson has already visited the Washington Commanders for a tryout, with visits to the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens pending. The Ravens, of course, just traded Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers, so they’re expected to be strong suitors.
Why the Chiefs need to throw their name in the hat for former 49ers DE Drake Jackson
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, it was clear that the Chiefs could use some edge rush help. After five weeks, it’s painfully apparent that they failed to get the depth and help they needed this offseason.
Chiefs Edge Rush Quick Facts:
- George Karlaftis is the only edge rusher to produce multiple sacks and double-digit pressures through five weeks.
- Charles Omenihu, Mike Danna, and Ashton Gillotte have combined for one sack and 14 total pressures.
This is a rare opportunity for Kansas City, where you can potentially upgrade your edge rusher group at the midseason mark without surrendering any draft capital in a trade. The last thing the team needs is to get itself into another Josh Uche situation, but the risk here is relatively low.
You can add a former top-75 draft pick, who, while coming off a serious knee injury, still has loads of potential long-term. Jackson is only 24 years old, and he actually fits Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo’s mold, listed at 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds. At worst, Jackson is still working his way back from the knee injury and doesn’t make an impact in 2025, but it’s worth a roll of the dice given how the edge rushers have performed in Kansas City this season. Just look at how things worked out for WR Tyquan Thornton, a former second-round draft pick who joined the Chiefs’ practice squad last season.
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