The debate over what the San Francisco 49ers did at the 2026 NFL Draft is not going to end anytime soon. Many have a decidedly negative view of the team’s draft, but some are bending over backwards to defend it.
We probably won’t know for sure, but it seems fairly safe to say if general manager John Lynch does end up having buyer’s remorse on a pick, it will be selecting running back Kaelon Black in Round 3.
That was the pick many fans and analysts immediately decried as being a reach. Black wasn’t projected to go until the late rounds, and yet the Niners felt the need to draft him in Round 3.
It continues a pattern for the 49ers swinging big for a home run and reaching in that round over the years. When it comes to running backs, names like Trey Sermon and Ty Davis-Price readily sprung to mind as other running backs the Niners took a big swing and whiffed on in the third round.
San Francisco has a history of taking big swings in Round 3 as a whole. Wide receivers Jalen Hurd and Danny Gray, both complete busts, were drafted in that round. C.J. Beathard was taken in Round 3. Jake Moody was a third-round pick. Even last year, linebacker Nick Martin was taken in Round 3, and he, too, seems like a reach pick.
To be fair, the Niners did hit big on Fred Warner when they selected him in the third round back in 2018, but outside of that, there’s not much to celebrate.
That’s why it just feels inevitable Lynch is going to regret that Black pick. He’s not going to be a starter this season, most likely, and he may not even play all that much. The 49ers drafted Jordan James in the fifth round last season, and he didn’t see an offensive snap until the playoffs.
The Niners don’t really cycle running backs into games unless there’s injuries, so the Black pick could end up feeling like a waste, especially if he doesn’t play much at all his first few seasons.
The Niners could’ve better used that pick on a safety or to address some other roster weakness. As the season plays out, it wouldn’t be shocking if several players who were drafted after Black end up having great years while he stays on the bench.
The 49ers are consistent, you got to give them that. But when they keep on taking big swings for players like Black and they keep on not working out, at some point, Lynch and Co. need to change course.
Add us as a preferred source on Google