49ers pre-draft visit: Minnesota S Jordan Howden

Minnesota safety Jordan Howden is making his rounds visiting NFL teams ahead of this month's draft. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, one of those teams is the San Francisco 49ers. Wilson notes that Howden also had a private workout with the New Orleans Saints and plans to attend the Las Vegas Raiders' local pro day.

Howden registered 58 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, five passes defensed, and two interceptions through 13 game appearances as a senior in 2022, per Sports Reference. He recorded 240 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, 20 passes defensed, and four interceptions through his five collegiate seasons.

Howden is from San Diego, CA. He earned a pre-draft grade of 5.69 from NFL.com, which equates to a "chance to make a roster or practice squad," per the site's 8-point grading scale.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6' 0" and 203-pound Howden had a 40-time of 4.49 seconds, a vertical jump of 33.5 inches, a broad jump of 119 inches, and 14 reps in the bench press. His other measurables include an arm length of 32 1/4 inches and hands measuring 9 1/2 inches.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote the following within his scouting report:

Howden is a football-savvy free safety with good instincts and play recognition but a lack of acceleration, which could create a plethora of problems for him on the pro level. He's quick to diagnose the run, but will need to improve his tackle technique. A lack of recovery juice could get him mismatched on the pro game, but he sees route combinations well when allowed to play as a two-deep safety. Howden has played a lot of football and can help on special teams but needs to prove himself as a tester at the NFL Scouting Combine.