49ers roster 2023: Jalen Graham is intriguing but has a long way to go
By Peter Panacy
After being selected in Round 7 of the NFL Draft, Jalen Graham has a shot at the 49ers' 53-man roster but will have to have a lot of things go his way.
One of the main themes from the San Francisco 49ers' 2023 NFL Draft class was to find reinforcements and depth who could help support a Super Bowl-caliber roster and guard against serious injury attrition, which has been an issue ever since head coach Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017.
In a microcosm, the Niners looked to achieve this by drafting not one but two linebackers over the course of all seven rounds, the first being Dee Winters out of TCU in Round 5, and then Purdue's Jalen Graham in Round 7.
Selected at No. 255 overall, the 6-foot-3 and 220-pound Graham fits the mold of a modern NFL linebacker, one who can operate toward the line of scrimmage but can equally double as a coverage option.
Having converted from being a safety during his first two years with the Boilermakers, Graham wants to make a dent in what is otherwise a deep and talented San Francisco linebacker corps.
Year | Position | Games | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | INT | Passes Defended | Forced Fumbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Safety | 11 | 37 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2020 | Safety | 5 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2021 | LB | 13 | 64 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
2022 | LB | 9 | 52 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
Career | 169 | 12.5 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 3 |
There are definitely some playmaking attributes that Graham has. That said, he's by no means a surefire addition to the 49ers' 53-man roster.
Particularly if they're already stacked at linebacker.
49ers 2023 NFL Draft: Jalen Graham scouting report
Originally, Pro Football Network draft analyst Tony Pauline tabbed Graham as a sixth-round pick, which does indicate the Niners got a bit of a steal in Round 7.
However, late picks on day three of the draft don't exactly fall into that category. There isn't too big a difference between the sixth and seventh rounds anyway.
Regardless, here is what PFN had to say about Graham:
"Graham has been a draftable player on my board since his freshman season, when he broke in with the Boilermaker defense and had a productive campaign. Overlooked by scouts entering the season, he’s made a late charge up all boards and is an athletic linebacker with scheme versatility who should also be effective on coverage units."
There are some concerns about his ability to defend against the run, but coverage backers are always valuable.
If Graham can double on special teams, his chances of hanging around will be that much better.
What does Jalen Graham have to do to make 49ers' 53-man roster?
As noted earlier, San Francisco has a deep and talented linebacker corps, one which Pro Football Focus ranked No. 1 in the NFL for a second consecutive season.
Dre Greenlaw and All-Pro Fred Warner highlight this group, while reservists like Oren Burks and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles are the primary options to serve as the starting strong-side (SAM) linebacker. Tack on the addition of Winters, and it's going to be pretty tough for someone like Graham to survive roster cuts right away.
A good first step would be knocking out some of the third-tier competition during training camp, namely players like Marcelino McCrary- Ball and Curtin Robinson, who are on the weaker side of the roster bubble anyway.
If there's good news here, initial reports from rookie minicamp actually touted Graham more than Winters, so it would appear as if the seventh-round pick is potentially impressing the coaching staff a bit more than the Round 5 selection.
Should Graham keep that up, his chances of making the 53-man squad would be significantly better, but there's a lot of practice left to determine that.
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