According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, the San Francisco 49ers met virtually with South Alabama cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, which begins on April 27 in Kansas City, Missouri. Luter has also met with the Seattle Seahawks.
"Luter Jr. met with all 32 teams in person at the [Senior Bowl]," notes Melo.
.@SouthAlabamaFB CB Darell Luter Jr. recently met virtually with the #49ers and #Seahawks, per league source.
Luter Jr. met with all 32 teams in person at the @seniorbowl.
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 27, 2023
Luter registered a career-high 42 tackles, 0.5 tackles for a loss, seven passes defensed, and an interception through 13 game appearances as a senior in 2022, per Sports Reference. He recorded 91 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, 18 passes defensed, five interceptions, and a forced fumble through his three collegiate seasons.
Luter is from Hattiesburg, MS. He earned a pre-draft grade of 6 from NFL.com, which equates to an "above-average backup," per the site's 8-point grading scale.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 5' 11 3/4" and 189-pound Luter had a 40-time of 4.46 seconds, a vertical jump of 40.5 inches, a broad jump of 123 inches, a 6.9-second three-cone drill time, and a 20-yard shuttle time of 4.43 seconds. His other measurables include an arm length of 32 3/8 inches and hands measuring 10 3/8 inches.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, who compares Luter to Christian Benford, wrote the following within his scouting report:
Long-limbed press-cover cornerback with the ball skills and physicality to challenge receivers outside the numbers. Luter can be a little leggy in his transitions and burst to the football, but his length helps make up for that and creates pass breakups. Louisiana-Monroe attacked him with back-shoulder throws all game, which is something to keep an eye on in the pros. He's going to be more effective in press-and-shadow coverage than he is playing Cover 3 or off-man. His ball production dipped in 2022, but his length and playing style fit the NFL game.
