In April, the San Francisco 49ers shocked the NFL world when they drafted running back Kaelon Black in the third round. By then, it was clear that coach Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the staff had a polarizing view on the prospect compared to the rest of the league.
The evaluation discrepancy left many fans worried about whether taking the 15th-ranked running back that early would prove to be a costly mistake.
Recently, however, those fans may have just gotten some much-needed resolve from a familiar face.
Tight end George Kittle expressed his approval of the Indiana product with a short-but-sweet one-liner.
"Very fast and very mature," the veteran said.
Kittle went on to talk about Black's age, which, at 24 years old, was considered to be a red flag leading up to the draft. While it makes sense many organizations would shy away from such an old rookie, the Niners may prove may prove to the perfect landing spot.
Both Kittle and newly acquired Mike Evans are both 32 years old. Brock Purdy is entering his fifth season, and his squad is nearing the end of a championship window. They simply don't have time to bring young, immature rookies up to speed on how things operate in their organization.
George Kittle's evaluation highlights clear advantage 49ers have this year
With his approval of the Niners' selection, Kittle inadvertently hinted at a major advantage his team lacked last season.
They have the ability to play much faster than what fans are used to seeing.
Right off the bat, general manager John Lynch made his draft strategy crystal clear. Black, along with second-pick De'Zhaun Stribling, are both burners who present immediate homerun threats. With weapons like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Mike Evans, San Francisco already had savvy veterans who are capable of fitting into the seams of a defense.
They didn't need any more ball-dominant skill players. They needed players who could stretch a defense thin and create more space for what they already had. While both Black and Stribling were considered reaches in their respective rounds, they were the last few missing pieces of Shanahan's offensive puzzle.
Hopefully, Kittle's words of encouragement are enough to stave off any fans who still may have reservations about the 49ers' draft strategy.
With a strong combination of speed and physicality, the red and gold will be sending a more balanced product onto the field come September.
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