Joseph Cress-USA TODAY Sports
49ers make Purdue LB Jalen Graham a 7th-round draft pick
Apr 29, 2023 at 3:50 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The San Francisco 49ers selected Purdue linebacker
Jalen Graham with the 38th pick (No. 255 overall) in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Graham registered 52 tackles, five tackles for a loss, a sack, five passes defensed, an interception, and a forced fumble through nine game appearances as a senior in 2022, per
Sports Reference. He recorded 169 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, 13 passes defensed, three interceptions, a touchdown, and three forced fumbles through his four collegiate seasons.
"Energy-driven hybrid player who will need to make a full-time conversion to a 4-3 linebacker role," Lance Zierlein wrote within the
player's NFL.com scouting report. "Graham plays faster than he's likely to test thanks to his football instincts and desire to get to where the ball is going. He needs to get a little bigger and improve his technique when fitting the run, but he's very willing to take on blocks and play with the aggression needed for the position. He's limited in man coverage, but he's an instinctive ballhawk when dropping into zone. Graham has the potential to compete as a backup Will linebacker and has upside still left to mine."
Graham is from Detroit, MI. He earned a pre-draft grade of 5.93 from NFL.com, which equates to an "average backup or special-teams player," per the site's 8-point grading scale.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6' 1 7/8" and 220-pound Graham had a 40-time of 4.64 seconds, a vertical jump of 30.5 inches, and a broad jump of 112 inches. His other measurables include an arm length of 33 inches and hands measuring 9 7/8 inches.
NFL.com projected Graham to be a sixth- or seventh-round draft pick.
Below is the NFL.com draft profile bio on Graham:
Graham traveled south to West Lafayette, Indiana, after garnering first-team All-Michigan honors at Detroit's Cass Tech High School. He started eight of 11 games played as a true freshman (37 tackles, 2.5 for loss) and five contests in the shortened 2020 season (16 tackles, one for loss). Graham earned honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference honors the next two seasons, starting all 13 games as a junior (64 tackles, four for loss with one sack, two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown, seven pass breakups) and nine games his senior year (52 tackles, five for loss with one sack, one interception, five pass breakups), after missing four early-season games due to injury. Graham opted out of the team's bowl game to prepare for the draft. -- by Chad Reuter
Measurables
Height: 6' 1 7/8"
Weight: 220 lbs.
Arm length: 33 inches
Hand length: 9 7/8 inches
NFL Scouting Combine
40-time: 4.64 seconds
Vertical: 30.5 inches
Broad jump: 112 inches
College Statistics |
Year |
School |
Class |
G |
Solo |
Ast |
Tot |
Loss |
Sk |
Int |
2019 |
Purdue |
FR |
11 |
24 |
13 |
37 |
2.5 |
0 |
-- |
2020 |
Purdue |
SO |
5 |
12 |
4 |
16 |
1 |
0 |
-- |
2021 |
Purdue |
JR |
13 |
45 |
19 |
64 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
2022 |
Purdue |
SR |
9 |
37 |
15 |
52 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
Total |
Purdue |
|
|
118 |
51 |
169 |
12.5 |
2 |
3 |
LISTEN
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
Report: 49ers offered "way more" than No. 2 pick for Kirk Cousins in 2017
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Sep 15
The San Francisco 49ers and their quarterback situation has been something to monitor ever since head coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017, with the team going from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance to Brock Purdy, with several other names in the mix over the years.
One of those names? Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has a connection with Shanahan dating back to their Washington days, with rumors circulating that the two would reunite upon the head coach's arrival in San Francisco when the signal-caller became a free agent in 2018.
However, the 49ers never reached that stage, instead pulling the trigger on a trade for Garoppolo from the New England Patriots at the 2017 trade deadline for a second-round pick.
Well, that wasn't the full story between the
49ers Notebook: Deebo is no longer "awful"; Ronnie Bell makes a splash; J.J. Watt praises Niners; Captain Andrew Luck makes Levi's cameo
Thursday night was a fun one at Levi's Stadium, where the San Francisco 49ers cruised to a 30-12 victory over the visiting New York Giants. It was a night that saw wide receiver Deebo Samuel declare himself as officially out of "awful" mode, running back Christian McCaffrey reach milestones, wide receiver Ronnie Bell create some lasting memories, and -- of all things -- Andrew Luck making a return to an NFL field (in full Civil War costume) to take part in a game of trivia.
Let's recap all that and more in this version of 49ers Notebook.
Not awful anymore
Back in June, Deebo Samuel caught some attention with his honest description of his 2022 performance
Key stats from the 49ers' 30-12 Week 3 win vs. the Giants
The San Francisco 49ers improved to 3-0 on the season after a 30-12 Week 3 win over the New York Giants at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Below are several statistics and notes from Thursday's game, which were provided by the 49ers Communications staff.
With The Win...
San Francisco has started the regular season 3-0 for the first time since 2019 and the 9th time in franchise history.
The 49ers have won back-to-back regular season games against the New York Giants [W, 36-9 at NYG (9/27/20)].
San Francisco has won their home opener for the second-consecutive season.
The Niners improved to 22-21 against the Giants,
Kyle Shanahan provides injury updates on Brandon Aiyuk, others after 49ers beat Rams
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters after the team's 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. He provided injury updates from the game.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was in and out of the game due to a left shoulder injury. A reporter asked if the coach was concerned that the injury could be serious.
"I wouldn't think so," Shanahan responded. "I mean, I know he was hurting a little bit, but he was able to play through it, so I think I'll be all right."
The coach mentioned two other players in his post-game injury report.
"[CB Ambry] Thomas, he had a knee," Shanahan said. "He was in and out. After that, [CB Deommodore