SANTA CLARA — The 49ers added to their competition in the linebackers room with their final pick of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The 49ers on Saturday selected Jalen Graham of Purdue in the seventh round with the No. 255 overall pick.
Graham (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) was chosen as an honorable mention All-Big Ten player the past two seasons.
He has some versatility but could compete for a backup role as a stack linebacker behind Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
Graham joins fellow rookie Dee Winters of TCU, whom the 49ers selected in the sixth round with the 216th overall selection. He played four seasons for Purdue, where he started 35 of the 38 games in which he appeared. Graham ran 4.64 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
His speed limitations could make it difficult to remain on the field as an every-down linebacker.
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San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers add Winters and Graham to compete for the job to replace Azeez Al-Shaair, who signed this offseason with the Tennessee Titans.
Oren Burks and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles are among those currently on the 49ers’ 90-man offseason roster who figure to be in competition to replace Al-Shaair.