Kaelon Black selected by 49ers in NFL draft: Grade, analysis

The San Francisco 49ers selected Indiana running back Kaelon Black with the No. 90 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 24.

Black is a 5-foot-10, 210-pound scat back who ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. In his 2025 season at Indiana, Black ran for 1,040 yards and led the Hoosiers with 10 rushing touchdowns. Black averaged 5.6 yards per carry.

San Francisco is hoping that Black can come in and earn his way to taking some of the wear-and-tear off veteran star running back Christian McCaffrey.

Here’s how USA TODAY Sports grades the 49ers’ third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft:

San Francisco 49ers draft grade for Kaelon Black

• The grade: C+
• Why? Black goes from a combine snub to a third-round pick. No one will confuse him for Christian McCaffrey, but he can be a reliable inside runner for San Francisco. – Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz

Expert takes on Kaelon Black

• “Compact runner with ideal contact balance for early-down runs but lacks breakaway speed and receiving skills.” – Ayrton Ostly
• “A 1,000-yard runner for the national champs last season has the goods to take some snaps off Christian McCaffrey’s overloaded meter.” – Nate Davis
• “Teams scouting Indiana in the Rose Bowl will likely kick the tires on Kaelon Black. The running backs’s contact balance and powerful run style — he’s a known weight room warrior who squats 500-plus pounds — broke Alabama’s will in the 38-3 win. He always finds a way to fall forward and will fight for tough yardage. He didn’t get a combine invite, but shined on Pro Day with an impressive 4.4-second 40-yard dash and 37.5 vertical jump.” — Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times

49ers 2026 NFL Draft picks

• 2nd Round, No. 33 overall: De’Zhaun Stribling, WR, Mississippi
• 3rd Round, No. 70 overall: Romello Height, DE/OLB, Texas Tech
• 3rd Round, No. 90 overall: Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana

NFL draft: 49ers draft picks 2026: Full list of team’s round-by-round selections