Entering year four, linebacker Jalen Graham has gotten used to being on the periphery of the San Francisco 49ers roster.
On one hand, it has to be frustrating to be a regularly waived player who drops down to the practice squad, only to be called up again when shortages arise. On the other, though, at least the Niners have almost regularly kept him around in one capacity or another, aside from a quick stint when he was picked up by the Washington Commanders briefly in 2024.
With Dontae Johnson-like promotions and demotions since returning to the Bay Area, the 25-year-old Graham is hoping 2026 offers different results.
It'll be far from easy, though.
Jalen Graham has even dimmer chances to make 49ers roster than in 2025
San Francisco spent considerable effort this offseason revamping its linebacker corps, hoping to beef up the depth behind All-Pro Fred Warner, who's returning from a devastating ankle injury suffered a year ago.
Bringing back Dre Greenlaw from his one-year absence with the Denver Broncos was the highlight move, and it made fellow backer Dee Winters expendable—the latter traded to the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of last April's draft.
Yet it's an awfully crowded room. Incumbents like Tatum Bethune, Luke Gifford, Garret Wallow and the 2025 disappointment, Nick Martin, are now joined by rookie Jaden Dugger, and each of those names will aim to carve out roles behind the duo of Warner and Greenlaw.
True, both Warner and Greenlaw have injury concerns, meaning depth is a necessity. But, with three years under his belt, it's probably clear the 49ers know exactly what they have in Graham, and the fact he appeared in only three games last season despite being healthy and amid the Niners' major injury shortages at the position pretty much reveal everything one needs to know.
With no guaranteed cash on his current reserve/futures deal, Graham is likely poised to be little more than camp competition, likely seeing some late-game field time during the preseason before being shown the door at final roster cuts.
This time, hanging around on the practice squad might be too big an ask, especially if San Francisco is more intrigued with its other options.
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