San Francisco 49ers NFL Trade and Roster Rumors: Former Falcons Defensive Lineman Tyson Jackson Works Out for 49ers
It appears that the San Francisco 49ers are interested in adding more depth to the defensive front seven and they are taking a closer look at a defensive tackle who used to play for the Atlanta Falcons.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the 49ers have brought in Tyson Jackson for a workout on Tuesday, Aug. 22.
Jackson began his career as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and he was actually the third overall pick in the 2009 draft. Unfortunately, he failed to live up to expectations during his stint with the team.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
The veteran defensive tackle spent the last three seasons with the Falcons after signing a five-year, $25-million contract with the team in 2014. Current 49ers head coach Kyle Shahanan happens to be the offensive coordinator for Atlanta during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, so they certainly know each other. He was released by the Falcons back in March after a subpar 2016 season.
The 49ers actually have a lot of defensive linemen on their roster, so it's a little surprising to hear that they are looking to add more. DeForest Buckner, Aaron Lynch and Ronald Blair are currently sidelined with injuries, but they should be back soon.
Still, Jackson can give the 49ers a veteran voice in the locker room and he can mentor some of the young players on their defense.
"The 31-year-old lineman comes with Super Bowl experience after last year's playoff run by Atlanta and could serve as a great mentor for younger players like Solomon Thomas on the 49ers defense. In addition, Jackson has always been a solid run defender even if he ended up more one-dimensional than his initial draft investment indicated," Matt Conner said in his column for Arrowhead Addict.
"As the former No. 3 overall pick in the draft, Jackson has failed to live up to the initial hype, but an eight-year NFL career is nothing to easily dismiss," he added.
