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Kyle Shanahan defends the 49ers' third-round pick, Kaelon Black, emphasizing his potential beyond a depth option. The selection aims to manage workloads, particularly for Christian McCaffrey.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Kyle Shanahan has strongly defended the 49ersâ third-round pick of Kaelon Black, a player San Francisco believes is more than just a depth option.
Shanahan said Black was their second-highest rated back in the draft, and that his selection was as much about managing workloads as it was about getting value.
Public boards had Black ranked a good deal lower, but Shanahan made it clear: âThatâs just our evaluation.â The Niners didnât want to hang around and risk losing him while the rest of the league caught up.
That thinking holds up only if Black is viewed as more than an emergency backup. Otherwise, using a third-rounder on him wouldnât add up for a roster that already leans so heavily on McCaffrey.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Black ran for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025 and helped Indiana win a national title. More importantly for the 49ers, he gives Shanahan another back he trusts to carry real early-down work if McCaffrey needs relief or misses time.
Thatâs become an unspoken pressure within the building. Shanahan has talked about easing McCaffreyâs burden for years, but the offence continues to drift back to one-back dependence when games matter most.
Kaelon Black has spoken about wanting to prove his coach right and push himself even more because of the criticism. That attitude matches the 49ersâ thinking.
They believe their evaluation was ahead of the curve and that, in time, people will see why they made this pick when Black gets a chance to play meaningful snaps.
Shanahanâs defence of the pick isnât really about who got it right on draft day. Itâs more about giving the offence another reliable option, so theyâre not leaning too heavily on one player again.
Kyle Shanahan defended Kaelon Black's selection as he believes Black is more than just a depth option and was their second-highest rated back in the draft.
The selection of Kaelon Black is aimed at managing workloads for Christian McCaffrey, ensuring he is not overburdened during the season.
Kaelon Black was drafted in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers.
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