Jalen A. Graham (born January 11, 2001) is an American football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Purdue.
Early life
Graham was born on January 11, 2001, and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Detroit Country Day School for his freshman and sophomore years, before transferring to Cass Tech High School. He played quarterback and defensive back, being named first-team all-state at the latter position as a senior. A three-star recruit, Graham committed to play college football for the Purdue Boilermakers as a defensive back.
College career
Graham saw immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2019, playing in 11 games and starting eight while recording 37 tackles and 2.5 . He appeared in five games in 2020, posting 16 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Graham started 13 games in 2021, tallying 64 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass breakups and a sack. He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten for his performance.
As a senior, Graham appeared in only nine games due to injury but still managed to post 52 tackles, second-best on the team, five TFLs, one sack and one interception. Despite having remaining eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he opted to declare for the NFL Draft, finishing his stint at Purdue with 169 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, three forced fumbles and 13 pass breakups in 38 games.
Professional career
Graham was selected in the seventh round (255th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.