How 49ers RB Kaelon Black Will Reduce Christian McCaffrey’s Workload
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College Football: Peach Bowl: Indiana Kaelon Black(8) in action, runs the football vs Oregon at Mercedez-Benz Stadium. Atlanta, GA 1/10/2026CREDIT: Kevin D. Liles (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164815 TK1)
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Sports Illustrated via Getty ImagesSan Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is one of the best players in the NFL, but the amount he’s utilized seems unsustainable.
McCaffrey ranked No. 2 in carries last season with 311 and is utilized heavily as a receiving option as well, accounting for 102 receptions. As important as it is for McCaffrey to be on the field, the 49ers drafted a player who can give him needed rest.
San Francisco selected Indiana running back Kaelon Black in the third round with the No. 90 overall pick.
What Rookie RB Kaelon Black Brings To The San Francisco 49ers
Black, 24, played six collegiate seasons, with his most productive coming in 2025. The Indiana product, who stands 5-foot-9 and 211 pounds, rushed for 1,039 yards last season with 10 touchdowns.
“It always starts with me with just who’s the most natural running back," Shanahan said of Black, per Kyle Posey of Niners Nation. “I love third-down backs, all the pass game stuff that people can bring, but when it just comes to running the ball, you need to have more than one starter.”
Shanahan views Black as a “tough, hard-nosed runner” and a player that can contribute in the passing game despite just 12 targets in 29 games at Indiana.
“What he could do as a true starting running back is what I liked," Shanahan explained. “If you ever had to give him more carries, could he hit the right hole? Can he move the chains when you only block it for three? Can he get five? The physicality he ran with, how he broke tackles when he did get into space, how he didn’t sit there and stutter his feet, he just broke to open spots and got yards.”
Even if McCaffrey remains healthy, he’s soon to be 30 years old and now is a good time to find the running back of the future in San Francisco. And there’s a chance that Black can be that. While McCaffrey played in every game last season, he played in just four in 2024 and the proactiveness of adding depth at running back was a wise call for a 49ers team with Super Bowl hopes.
49ers general manager John Lynch explained what led to drafting Black. Beyond his athletic abilities, Lynch got to know him better as a person.
“Kaelon Black, you hear this story a lot as the process went, just kept feeling better and better and better," Lynch said, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports. “His film speaks for itself. Really hard-running kid, rocked up kid, had an opportunity to visit with him at the Senior Bowl, and you can’t help but love the kid and everything he stands for.”
The rushing attack is an integral part of the 49ers’ offense, and if the 49ers are to make a deep playoff run in 2026, Black will likely have a key role in support of McCaffrey.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com