49ers place Drake Jackson on season-ending injury list

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Francisco 49ers placed defensive end Drake Jackson on the season-ending injured list, the latest setback for the team’s 2022 second-round pick.

Jackson was placed on the reserve or physically unable to perform list on Thursday, which opened up a spot on the roster and forced Jackson to miss the entire season.

Jackson injured his knee last season and was placed on the injured list in November. He suffered a setback in his recovery and underwent surgery in January. He was unable to practice at the start of training camp and was placed on the active/physically unable to perform list. But ultimately, the Niners decided he wouldn’t be healthy enough to play this season and sat him out.

Jackson was used as a part-time edge rusher in his two seasons but failed to make a major impact on San Francisco’s defense. As a rookie playing primarily in passing situations, he had three sacks and 16 quarterback pressures.

He recorded three sacks in last season’s season opener at Pittsburgh, but played little in the final seven games before getting injured, recording no more sacks and just nine pressure situations during that span.

To take Jackson’s place on the 90-man roster, the Niners signed safety Tracy Walker III to a one-year contract.

Walker was originally selected by Detroit in the third round of the 2018 draft. In six years with the Lions, he had 375 tackles, 23 passes defensed, four sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in 79 games.

Last season, he started six games and appeared in all 17 games for Detroit. He had 57 tackles, two passes defensed, one sack and one forced fumble.