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Jobless former 49ers top draft pick may be forced into early retirement

At times, there were glimpses of greatness from former San Francisco 49ers defensive end Drake Jackson, their top selection from the 2022 NFL Draft, taken in Round 2 out of USC.

Despite being played out of position for much of his collegiate career, the Niners getting him at No. 61 overall was seen as a steal at the time, and the then-rookie defender made a modest impact out of the gate, registering eight passes broken up at the line of scrimmage that year, paired with three sacks.

Yet Jackson's conditioning was a problem, and he turned into a weekly healthy scratch late in 2022 and even missed playoff games as a result.