Questons about Graves

Why does Graves have an ultimate with a longer range than Vel'koz? I thought he was supposed to be a marksman that was rewarded for getting up close and personal with someone. So why can his ultimate kill you standing under the midlane T2 turret when he's at the T1? It just doesn't make any sense to me, especially regarding the nature of the rest of his kit and intended playstyle.