The San Francisco 49ers took a big swing in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting running back Kaelon Black out of Indiana University. Many fans scratched their heads at why the Niners would reach on a running back that early, especially when his pass-catching stats were not especially impressive in college.
The Niners said they wanted a backup to Christian McCaffrey who was a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. In 2025, Black had just four receptions for 36 yards, and the year prior, he had four catches for just 6 yards.
That doesn’t exactly scream “dual threat back,” but his time at James Madison University shows that he did have some success catching the ball as a receiver:
Kaelon Black sneaks out of the backfield for the game winning TD catch Vs Virginia
— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) May 10, 2026
The New #49ers rookie RB was a pass catching demon at JMU 😤😤 pic.twitter.com/Jy6roxygmz
In 2022, he had 17 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and Black followed that up in 2023 by catching 27 passes for 254 yards and four touchdowns. He can clearly catch the ball out of the backfield, but maybe the Hoosiers just didn’t see all that much value in utilizing him that way.
The Niners had their first rookie minicamp last week, and many analysts who saw Black in action came away impressed by how he looked catching the ball. It’s obviously just a workout, and guys aren’t even in pads yet, so we should reserve judgment until we see guys in training camp or the preseason. But if it’s true that Black is a threat out of the backfield catching the ball, then it makes his selection make a lot more sense.
He’s also been touted for his abilities as a blocker in the pass game, which is really important as well. If he’s a guy who can catch the ball and reliably block for quarterback Brock Purdy, then the rookie could be a guy capable of relieving McCaffrey more often.
That’s part of why the Niners were reluctant to take McCaffrey out of the game last year. Brian Robinson Jr. was more of a bruising, between-the-numbers type of back who was not as much of a threat as a pass catcher. That made it difficult to take McCaffrey off the field because head coach Kyle Shanahan is only able to call certain plays if he knows McCaffrey is going to draw attention from a defender.
It will take a long time before opposing defenses take Black as seriously as McCaffrey, but if he can at least do enough to draw a linebacker or get some attention, then that allows the 49ers to rest McCaffrey a little bit more.
It will take a big year for Black to prove to skeptics that the Niners didn’t take a huge risk by drafting him when they did, but if he can continue to prove he is a threat in multiple ways, then he has a chance to break the curse of San Francisco reaching on running backs in Round 3.
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