How Kaelon Black Quickly Can Surpass Jordan James on 49ers Depth Chart

Don't sleep on Black.

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The San Francisco 49ers backup running back competition will be one of the most interesting training camp battles to watch. Second-year running back Jordan James is the most likely running back to win the job, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. However, there are a few specific things that rookie running Kaelon Black can do to unseat him early. Wagoner notes that the 49ers will need to see more from him as a pass catcher. 

San Francisco 49ers need Kaelon Black to improve in the NFL

In order to be No. 2, however, Black will have to prove he can do more than just run the ball. He had just eight catches for 42 yards on 14 targets in two seasons at Indiana, though he was far more involved in the pass game at James Madison in 2022 and 2023, and he displayed satisfactory ability in that area at the Senior Bowl, according to 49ers general manager John Lynch.

Nick Wagoner

This is a fair criticism. Jordan James did not flash as a pass catcher in the NFL, but he had 42 catches during his college career and 26 catches during his last year at Oregon. He is not elite in this area, but he is proficient enough to be the backup. 

While James is better suited to backup McCaffrey in the way of replacing him if he went down, the role that Brian Robinson Jr. played last year was more of a complementary role. He did the things that McCaffrey did not do, and because McCaffrey was such a talented pass catcher, Robinson did not do that. 

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Robinson had 36 catches in 2023 and 20 catches in 2024. Then, he had just eight catches for the 49ers. That is because the 49ers did not sign him to have a role in pass catching snaps. On pass-catching snaps, he was likely blocking, but more than anything he was playing a power role that meant tough yards between the tackles. These carries ease the load of McCaffrey and allow him to be fully versatile in the passing game. So, the 49ers do not need the pass-catching role as much as expected. 

This is likely why the 49ers drafted Black. He is more of a north-south runner than either McCaffrey or James and is much more like Robinson than either of those two backs. So, Black might have to improve at pass protection, but he likely could finish the year with more carries than James despite not improving as a pass catcher.

The 49ers backup running back might depend on how you define it. Black is the replacement for Robinson, which was in a role in its own and not quite a backup role to McCaffrey. So, James might end up being the McCaffrey backup, while Black is the 49ers' number two running back.