Why the 49ers drafted a running back in the 3rd round again
Kaelon Black was the 49ers third round pick
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 19: QB Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers hands off the ball to RB Kaelon Black #8 of the Indiana Hoosiers runs with the ball during the Indiana Hoosiers versus the Miami Hurricanes College Football Playoff National Championship Game Presented by AT&T on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The San Francisco 49ers selected Kaelon Black in the third round with the 90th overall pick. He was 179th on Dane Brugler’s board.
Black was 197th on the consensus big board. He was 187th on PFF’s big board. The 49ers reaching for a running back in the 3rd round?
We’ve seen this movie before. Black had six targets last season at Indiana. He did not play on third downs for the national champion Hoosiers.
Black is a sixth-year senior. Black suffered a serious knee injury in 2021. His frame suggests he is a bowling ball style that runs low with good contact balance.