A Detroit native and former quarterback recruit who converted to linebacker at Purdue and has carved out a depth role in San Francisco.
Jalen Graham's path to the NFL wound through Purdue, where he became a four-year starter after arriving as a high school quarterback prospect. Now in his fourth season with the 49ers, Graham continues to work as a depth linebacker and special-teams contributor.
Path to the league
Graham grew up in Detroit and starred at Cass Tech High School as a three-star quarterback recruit before converting to linebacker in college. He started 35 of 36 games over four seasons at Purdue, recording 169 tackles, 12.5 for loss, three forced fumbles and three interceptions, including two defensive touchdowns. The 49ers selected him with the 255th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Graham has spent his NFL career as a rotational and special-teams linebacker for San Francisco, working to earn a larger defensive role behind the 49ers' established starters at the position.
2025 season recap
Graham saw limited defensive snaps in 2025, with minimal statistical production reflecting a role primarily focused on special teams and depth linebacker duties.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jalen Graham
- Pro Football Reference: Jalen Graham
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
3 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 49ers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 49ers | 8 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 49ers | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Purdue
- Hometown
- Detroit, MI, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
