The pads haven't even come on yet during training camp, and the San Francisco 49ers are already dealing with notable injuries.
As bad as those may be, injuries ultimately open up the door for others to take advantage of the increased opportunity.
Such is the case for rookie running back Kaelon Black, an embattled third-round pick whom many NFL Draft pundits felt was a massive overreach last April. Despite his upsides, Black's addition wasn't exactly seen as a need, especially with All-Pro Christian McCaffrey commanding such a big role.
Yet the job of supporting McCaffrey remains wide open, and the original line of thinking was both Black and second-year tailback Jordan James would be the primary favorites to secure that job.
The rookie might've just been gifted his best chance to take the lead, though, even if comes via the unfortunate injury pathway.
Jordan James injury opens door for Kaelon Black to take over 49ers' RB2 role
During Monday's camp practice, James appeared to start off as the Niners' primary go-to behind McCaffrey, but several media reporters cited how the former Oregon Duck wasn't on the field for the second half of practice, leaving Black to shoulder a good amount of work.
Later in the week, subsequent reports indicated James suffered broken ribs during practice and will miss an extended period of time.
Bad news for the second-year pro. Great news for Black.
With James out of the picture for the immediate future, Black now has an opportunity to see the bulk of secondary looks whenever McCaffrey isn't out on the field, and it wouldn't be a shock for the rookie to get some notable field time once the preseason rolls around, assuming James' injury lingers into exhibition games.
While it's far from ideal, given San Francisco's concern over McCaffrey's injury history, there's now an easy path for an embattled draft pick to prove his value in a bigger way than originally anticipated.
Add us as a preferred source on Google