The San Francisco 49ers made an intriguing defensive pick in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday, selecting a player who looks, on the face of it, like someone who could play multiple positions.
The selection of Louisiana linebacker Jalen Dugger brings a freak athlete to the table; a converted safety, standing 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, he passes the eye test almost immediately and certainly profiles well with other 49ers linebackers like Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
Problem is, the linebacker room is quite crowded. That's why Dee Winters was moved in a mid-draft trade, and why several linebackers, including last year's third-round pick Nick Martin, will be brawling for roster spots throughout the preseason.
That said, Dugger should be able to use his instincts and nose for the ball to stand out.
However, perhaps there's another spot for him, particularly in Raheem Morris' new defensive scheme.
Morris has often used a fifth rusher in his defensive system, usually a defensive end/linebacker hybrid with quick-twitch skills. Dugger can fit that to a tee with uncanny athletic ability for his size, as well as exceptionally long arms, something the Niners are known to covet in their pass-rushers.
He became something of an expert in making splash plays in college:
Gotta credit my guys @CrwnGlobalMedia and @Jordan_Reid for putting me on Louisiana LB Jaden Dugger. He’s still super raw playing with instincts and more of a run and chase guy right now, but he has unique size at 6045, 240 with almost 35” arm length + impressive range and… pic.twitter.com/zAKunLVLwp
— Jonah Tuls (@JonahTuls) February 3, 2026
Unfortunately, the rookie going to need a lot of refinement. He's shown issues getting off blocks, and occasionally had issues with play recognition as well. He's certainly a raw lump of clay, which is the kind of player you often find in the mid-late rounds, especially if you're as prone to reaching for prospects as the 49ers often are.
Fortunately, the team has a wild card in this situation: Kris Kocurek.
As with third-round draft choice Romello Height, the Niners will bank that Kocurek's uncanny ability to turn players from relatively unheralded to productive pass-rushers (think Charles Omenihu, Arden Key, and that sort of player) can unlock some of Dugger's athletic potential.
Also like Height, that would allow Dugger to be used in sub packages, probably the easiest way for rookies to get on the field in what is an otherwise established 49ers defense. It'd also add some pass rush from unexpected sources, something that's quite useful against offensive gurus like the Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay, whom the 49ers face twice a year.
Should that not work out, though, this could still be a good pick. In fact, in some ways, it's a no-lose pick for San Francisco; either Dugger becomes a useful asset as a rusher, or he drops back into the linebacking rotation, which while crowded, does need an infusion of youth, particularly as its top two, Warner and Greenlaw, start to age from their undoubted peaks. Warner was a converted safety in college, too, and he became one of the best off-ball linebackers of all time.
Who can entirely project Dugger right now? Certainly not me. His first job will be to make the roster. But the 49ers adding a freakish athlete who could be a mouldable, versatile chess piece into its defense at the hands of Kocurek will never get a thumbs down from me.
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