The San Francisco 49ers made one of the more surprising moves in the 2026 NFL Draft when taking running back Kaelon Black with the No. 90 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Black was expected to go on Day 3, but the 49ers pulled the trigger at the end of the third round. What was more surprising than his placement in the draft was that he was the No. 3 back taken behind first-round picks Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price.
Black now joins a running back room headlined by Christian McCaffrey, with Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor, and Sincere McCormick rounding out the room.
With a ton of young pieces, how does Black fit in, and what does the room look like in 2026?
Black’s fit
When he was drafted, I was quite surprised by the 49ers’ choice, not only because he was a third-round pick or the No. 3 back off the board, but also due to the fit.
Black has solid speed, which is one of his strong suits, and is seen as potentially the best pass-protecting back in the class. But he’s not experienced as a pass-catcher (four catches at Indiana in 2025). He did see more volume as a receiver during his second and third years of college at James Madison under head coach Curt Cignetti (44 catches over the two years), but caught just eight passes combined over the past two years at Indiana.
Why does that matter? Well, the 49ers are trying to take the load off Christian McCaffrey this season. But, in the past, that’s been so hard to do because San Francisco has such an edge with a pass-catching back on the field, as it opens up the rest of the offense with so much attention going to McCaffrey.
Having another pass-catcher in the backfield allows McCaffrey to take a breather while still letting the offense flow.
So, Black can pass protect, making him a solid third-down option in situations, but that’s all his role might be on offense in Year 1, barring any injuries.
I will be curious to see how Black’s speed fits in the mix because the 49ers did prioritize speed with Isaac Guerendo, who hasn’t panned out.
What the RB room looks like
With Black in the mix, the 49ers may have some decisions to make at running back this offseason.
Christian McCaffrey leads the room, evidently. Behind him, Jordan James ended up being the No. 3 back last year over Isaac Guerendo, with both working behind Brian Robinson Jr. James could now rise to the No. 2 role if the 49ers don’t add another player to the fold.
The question becomes: can Black overtake Guerendo for that No. 3 spot? And, if so, does that put Guerendo’s spot in flux heading into Year 3? The 49ers didn’t really look his way much last year, with other players leapfrogging him throughout the offseason, and it might be time to move on.
In that case, the 49ers could carry just three traditional running backs, with Kyle Juszczyk as a part of the room as well at fullback. Patrick Taylor Jr. makes sense as a practice squad back who could be called up when an injury occurs. He could fight for that No. 4 role, but it seems like his position is expendable now with another quality pass-protecting back in the mix.
There should be some competition in the room this offseason.
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