How RB Kaelon Black Stood out During the 49ers' Evaluation

This is what made the 49ers rank Kaelon Black as the second-best running back of the draft.

Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers running back Kaelon Black (8) runs to score a touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second half of the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Drafting Indiana running back Kaelon Black in the third round with the No. 90 overall pick was an unexpected selection by the San Francisco 49ers.

What's even more surprising is that the 49ers ranked Black as the second-best running back of the 2026 NFL draft. It makes their evaluation process of Black extremely intriguing.

Thankfully, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak was asked at his press conference on Thursday about what stood out with Black that enticed the 49ers to draft him in the third round.

What drew the 49ers to Kaelon Black

“He's a guy who, he really grew on us over time. The more we watched, studied these backs and really stacked them all together, you saw a guy who got the most out of every run that he put on tape," Kubiak said. "When he touched the ball, he was maximizing every play. Whether that be an explosive run where he was going through the line, or it was a run where it wasn't blocked very well, and he was going to get you four or five yards."

Black is not some middling player who didn't deserve to get drafted. He's got some talent, as Kubiak pointed out his traits that stood out to the 49ers. That's all fine and dandy.

But the issue is drafting him so early. The 49ers could've waited until the fourth round to take him. The next running back didn't get taken until 18 spots after, when the Broncos took Jonah Coleman.

My hunch of what was the convincing factor in drafting Black so early was that the 49ers, specifically Kyle Shanahan, fell in love with how Black looked in the College Football Playoffs.

Black ran extremely well in those games, and it was against the top defenses in college. Those defenses had NFL-caliber players, indicating he's ready to contribute as a rookie.

"He's just a really physical, tough runner. He's got good speed. To me, what I loved about watching him was when you saw their team, Indiana, get to the playoffs, he was one of the best players on the field. He was a big reason why they won the National Championship. He had some huge games and some huge moments and just a competitive dude. And so, we're really excited about him.”

Sure enough, Kubiak confirmed my suspicions about what the 49ers loved about him. A few games largely convinced them to draft him so early.

For their sake, they better hope he's the truth and not another third-round whiff.

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