Much has been made of the San Francisco 49ers selecting running back Kaelon Black in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Many viewed the pick as a reach, but the 49ers remain confident in their decision and believe Black can make a long-term impact.
One teammate who has been impressed by the rookie is All-Pro tight end George Kittle. As the 49ers wrapped up their offseason program this week, Kittle was asked for his early impressions of Black.
"Very fast," Kittle quickly responded. "Very fast and very mature."
That last part—mature—is key. The 49ers have striven to get younger in recent years, searching for the next wave of playmakers as key veterans move deeper into their careers. However, Black will turn 25 in October, making him older than many rookies entering the league. Most expect him to serve as the primary backup to Christian McCaffrey, who turns 30 on Sunday.
While some might view Black's age as a drawback, Kittle sees it as an advantage.
"I like old rookies because they're ready to play, and you don't have to go through that immaturity part of the start. When you play with mature players, they kind of understand the sense of urgency, is what I would say. They're just ready for it, and that's been really cool."
Black has also earned praise from McCaffrey, who has been impressed by the rookie's ability to absorb information quickly.
"He's somebody that's so eager to learn, and so we've had a couple of conversations outside of practice on different things that I'm seeing," McCaffrey said in May. "But what I see in him already, and it's been just a few weeks, is he can pick things up so quickly. It doesn't take him long. Once he does something or once you tell him something, he knows how to correct it, knows how to fix it, and he's a true football player."
The 49ers haven't enjoyed much success drafting running backs during head coach Kyle Shanahan's and general manager John Lynch's tenure, with several selections failing to carve out significant roles in the offense.
Black is well aware of that narrative and is determined to change it.
"I know one of the things I was hit with before was San Francisco has a habit of drafting running backs in the third to the fifth round, and they don't play or they don't pan out, and I'm just trying to change that narrative for myself," Black said in May.
As for the criticism surrounding the 49ers using a third-round pick on him, Black said the skepticism only fuels his motivation.
"It makes me want to go harder," Black said. "I gotta prove my coach right. I'd be lying if I said I haven't seen the backlash that he's been getting for the pick, but we just stay the course, we stay focused, and we're going to keep moving and try to prove him right."
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