Kaelon

Black

Shockingly and inexplicably the second running back off the draft board in the 2026 NFL Draft, Black out of Indiana appears to be a solid-enough blocker who might earn snaps behind Christian McCaffrey this season. Jordan James, Barrow added, remains the likely RB2 behind McCaffrey. Black’s blocking ability “won’t make him popular in fantasy football circles, but it’s something a rookie needs to prove before he gets meaningful snaps.” In 32 pass-blocking opportunities in 2025, Black did not allow a quarterback hit while giving up two QB pressures. If he proves himself a reliable blocker in training camp, Black could see significant snaps in the 49ers offense.

Black is expected to compete with second-year RB Jordan James in training camp for the primary backup role. James, 22, played just three offensive snaps last year, though The Athletic’s Vic Tafur said in February that “it seems like the 49ers have big plans” for him this season. Black, 24, is the latest in a long list of running backs drafted by the 49ers in the mid rounds. The 49ers’ results in this effort have not been great, but perhaps Black is the player who makes it all worth it. He scored 10 touchdowns in the Hoosiers’ championship run last year.

Same. After Kaelon Black was added in the third round, it seems like he’ll be the real competitor for Jordan James in the backup spot. Guerendo didn’t exactly play poorly when given a chance, but the 49ers simply have to draft a running back every year per unspoken NFL guidelines. If Guerendo is released, he could be an interesting reclamation project elsewhere.

Black (5’9”/208) spent his six-year college career with head coach Curt Cignetti, joining him at James Madison in 2020, and then transferring to Indiana in 2024 when the Hoosiers hired Cignetti to be their coach. During Indiana’s 2025 national championship run, Black split duties with Roman Hemby, but still managed to rush for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns on 186 carries. Black saw 158 of his carries come on first or second down, per TruMedia, and converted four of his 20 carries inside the opponents’ five-yard line into scores. He’s a physical back who doesn’t shy away from contact and pushes to pick up every yard before the play is dead. He caught a career-high 25 passes during his 2023 season at James Madison, but managed just nine receptions on 12 targets in his two seasons at Indiana. In San Francisco Black will struggle to carve out any sort of consistent role unless the Niners struggle with backfield injuries.