One of the largest topics of conversation during the offseason is what will come next year. The San Francisco 49ers ended the 2022 season with a 13-4 record but lost the NFC Championship game. This is a solid team that did lose a couple of players in free agency but did not have to change too much. The 49ers have a solid group of players that may not have been starters but showed glimmers of hope. Here are three breakout candidates for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
San Francisco 49ers DE Drake Jackson
This has been a common name brought up when discussing the 2023 season. Defensive end Drake Jackson will be entering year two of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers and year two on this team tends to be when players make a big jump. Jackson did play in 2022, but Charles Omenihu was the starter over him. There were also games where he would be the healthy scratch depending on the team’s opponent.
49ers DEs Nick Bosa (97) and Drake Jackson (95) – Eakin Howard/Getty Images
Jackson was not bad in 2022, just did not stand out. He played in 15 games and had 14 combined tackles, eight of which were solo and three tackles for loss, according to Pro Football Reference. He had six quarterback hits and three sacks. Defensive linemen tend to do well with the 49ers, but Jackson also had one interception and eight pass deflections. There were sparks that made him stand out more than others in the rotation.
The defensive lineman has also been putting in the work this offseason. He moved up to the weight the team wants him at, which as of the minicamp was 265 pounds. Nick Bosa has even said that despite Jackson putting on the weight, he is still just as fast. Of course, this work needs to be worth it and he will need to prove himself on the field. San Francisco is banking on Jackson, and if he does make the step people believe he can, the defensive line will be better than the one from 2022.
San Francisco 49ers RB Jordan Mason
49ers RB Jordan Mason – Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
Yes, it will be difficult for running back Jordan Mason to break out right away. Christian McCaffrey is the top running back, but Mason is slowly creeping his way to second. Running back Elijah Mitchell is still technically the second guy but was working through some stuff during the minicamp, as said by Kyle Shanahan. Mason could very well beat out Mitchell, and if that is the case, it will be a breakout player in 2023.
The running back will be in his second year, and despite being put low on the depth chart to start 2022, when his opportunity came he took it. Mason rushed the ball 43 times for 258 yards and one touchdown, according to Pro Football Reference. His longest run was for 55 yards, with an average of six yards per attempt. The part about Mason that is special is that when he runs, anyone watching can tell he wants to prove himself. There have been times he just needed a first down and pushed the ball as far as he could, not letting anyone take him down easily.
Originally, Mason was just the player who was put in when it was time to waste the clock, but in 2023 it could be more. If Mason does beat out Mitchell, he will get much more playing time. Expect Mason to make a big jump for San Francisco in 2023 when the chance arises.
San Francisco 49ers CB Isaiah Oliver
Atlanta Falcons DB Isaiah Oliver (26) – Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
This may be a bit more of a reach, but cornerback Isaiah Oliver may be a breakout player for the 49ers next year. Oliver has been an underlooked signing. He is expected to take over as nickelback with Jimmie Ward now with the Houston Texans. Oliver is not new to the NFL and spent five years with the Atlanta Falcons. In 2023, now with the 49ers, can have a breakout season.
In 2022, Oliver only started in five games and played in 12. He ended up with 37 combined tackles, 25 of which were solo, and three tackles for loss, according to Pro Football Reference. He also had one sack and two quarterback hits. As for what most people want to know about when it comes to cornerbacks, he also had seven pass deflections and one interception for 27 yards. Saying Oliver will break out may be a stretch, but it should definitely be watched for.
The San Francisco 49ers have a strong team and numerous established players. This team has super bowl aspirations, and these three players will be a part of it.
