49ers select Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana at no. 90

Originally posted by Sickaa:
Kyle just had some weird obsession for wasting draft picks on RBs

I don't get it either.

Originally posted by mitpdub:
We want Swiss Army knives for positions. RBs that can be WRs, WRs that can be RBs.

This dude is super strong beating most linemen at the bench press.

He will be the first RB that can play IOL. Defenders will be confused , and Brocks vision improved.

In all seriousness, he's part of the team and with us. Kyle John chose him so I'm hoping he can do something and not be the annual sacrifice that's purged after 1-2 seasons.

With all the injuries, you'll need those Swiss army knife players. If Trent Williams goes down we can plug in Kaelon at left tackle.

But seriously, as others have pointed out in the past. Guys like Deebo can sub in at another position (RB for example) if there is injuries therw or if it gives them an advantage in an upcoming game.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:

Originally posted by 49ers81:
It occurs to me that with all of this handwringing and bedwetting about where Black was selected. It's probably worth remembering that the team has had pretty good luck assessing and finding good RBs in the late rounds or as UDFAs. Brieda, Mason, Kiner - who looked like he was going to make the team before he got hurt. Morris was an UDFA for another team wasn't he before the Niner's picked him up. Admittedly, their 3rd round RB picks have been absolutely cursed, but they seem to have found their share of good ones, which means they at least have an eye for the position. If Black turns out to be the guy who finally allows them to take CMC off the field more frequently and becomes a solid contributor for a few years, I hardly think it will matter that he wasn't perceived as a "good value" pick.

Joe Williams
Trey Sermon
Tyrion Davis-Price
Isaac Guerendo

Three 3rd rounders and a 4th invested in RBs. What have any of them done in the NFL?

Breida was ages ago. Mason couldn't stick as a backup. So what do they really have to show for?

Absolutely positively nothing.

Originally posted by 49ers81:

Originally posted by DRCHOWDER:

Recent 49ers 3rd round draft picks:

Jake Moody: Cut (Reach)
Cam Latu: Cut (Reach)
Ty Davis-Price: Cut (Reach)
Trey Sermon: Cut (Reach)
Ji'Ayir Brown: Not good (Reach)
Danny Gray: Cut (Reach)
Ambry Thomas: Cut
Jalen Hurd: Cut#49ers

— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) April 26, 2026

I seem to recall that Hurd was cut because he was injured. In the brief appearances he had he looked as though he could have been a difference maker. We'll never know of course, that was just a bit of bad luck all the way around. Brown has had his moments, which is probably on par with what you would get from a lot of third rounders. I never had a problem with them taking a kicker in the 3rd round. He just turned out to be the wrong one. If he had been a guy that could have delivered consistently and held down the spot for seven or eight years, he would have been well worth the pick.

Neither a kicker nor a punter is ever worth a day two pick.
5th round is the earliest.

Originally posted by communist:
Neither a kicker nor a punter is ever worth a day two pick.
5th round is the earliest.

I guess we'll have to just disagree on that. Like I said, if you got a guy there who ended up being consistent and reliable, gave you ten years of service, and maybe even got to a Pro Bowl or two. that would be well worth a 3rd round pick.

He reminds me of Kyle Monangai. 👀

Originally posted by 49ers81:

Originally posted by communist:
Neither a kicker nor a punter is ever worth a day two pick.
5th round is the earliest.

I guess we'll have to just disagree on that. Like I said, if you got a guy there who ended up being consistent and reliable, gave you ten years of service, and maybe even got to a Pro Bowl or two. that would be well worth a 3rd round pick.

With kickers and punters, it's all about cost benefit ratio. Simply put, you don't gain much by getting one earlier than on day 3 but you lose out on a normal player.

Originally posted by DRCHOWDER:

Recent 49ers 3rd round draft picks:

Jake Moody: Cut (Reach)
Cam Latu: Cut (Reach)
Ty Davis-Price: Cut (Reach)
Trey Sermon: Cut (Reach)
Ji'Ayir Brown: Not good (Reach)
Danny Gray: Cut (Reach)
Ambry Thomas: Cut
Jalen Hurd: Cut#49ers

— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) April 26, 2026

I can't stand that clickbait Cohn wannabe. Adding guys like Hurd and Ambry or even Brown is taking away from the actual point.

Thomas obviously wasn't a great player for us but he played a good amount for us and had a lot of good including securing a playoff spot for us in 2021 and actually well at some moments.

Hurd was the talk of training camp and I still remember how hyped 49er fans were after that first preseason game when he was terrific. Just a tragic case of a kid who had a rash of serious injuries and never got to show what he could do in real games.

Brown wasn't a reach at all and has done some good including a pick in the SB.

I don't think Danny Gray was a reach either and he was like the last pick in the 3rd borderline 4th rounder.

But yes…we've had some HORRIBLE misses in the 3rd round. Hopefully they're in the past but we need Nick Martin to step it up cuz he's trending the wrong way. Stout may break the trend tho.

Originally posted by RonMexico:

so @JohnLynch49ers said they fell in love with Kaelon Black at the senior bowl and his 1v1's in the pass game. Here's what they fell in love with. Included some other backs in the bag drills for comparison. pic.twitter.com/dHzsIINYP8

— JonnyDel's Backup (@SulligentHUB) April 27, 2026

Niffty. Gonna see if Kyle can beat the odds of 3rd round RB Bermuda Triangle.

Originally posted by RonMexico:

so @JohnLynch49ers said they fell in love with Kaelon Black at the senior bowl and his 1v1's in the pass game. Here's what they fell in love with. Included some other backs in the bag drills for comparison. pic.twitter.com/dHzsIINYP8

— JonnyDel's Backup (@SulligentHUB) April 27, 2026

So Kyle fell in love with the fact he wore the right color shorts to practice, and decided he just had to get him! Maybe he thinks he can coach up Aiyuk in that department?

Originally posted by tohara3:

Originally posted by TheFunkyChicken:
I feel like if they were going to use an early pick like this on a RB it should have been someone like Mike Washington. I'm not saying he's for sure going to be better than Black. He might actually be terrible… but at least then you're shooting your shot on a high ceiling rare size/speed combo with dynamic pass catching.

Or if they want a 25 year old high floor RB with 6 years of college miles on him, wait until the 5th or 6th and hope you get another Eli Mitchell.

Agree with this post. Would have rather taken Washington from Arkansas to the the RB room a different dynamic. Guess we will see

Four fumbles last season. 10+ for his college career. Ain't no way was Shanahan using a draft pick on him. Let's not forget Guerendo fumbled three times and muffed a punt in one practice. He's been in Kyle's dog house ever since with the team trading for Brian Robinson to be RB2.

Originally posted by NYniner85:

Kaelon Black's athletic profile most closely matches Kenneth Walker's. pic.twitter.com/AlcOztC1ox

— Mike Urtaza (@urtazablue) April 27, 2026

Cosell had him as his 3rd or 4th RB in this draft. So it's fair to say that other teams may have had him higher than consensus, so it's fair to say that he might not have lasted long after we picked, so it's fair to say everyone freaked the f**k out over nothing. RB was a need, and we got a good one.

Black could be a faster Frank Gore... Frank was a beast in pass pro, classic one cut runner made his living on the inside zone, good hands.... we're in preseason hopeium right now so why not believe?!

Originally posted by riverrunzthruit:
Black could be a faster Frank Gore... Frank was a beast in pass pro, classic one cut runner made his living on the inside zone, good hands.... we're in preseason hopeium right now so why not believe?!

I've never been this excited for a mid round RB in the Shanahan era. Black is an explosive, no nonsense runner. It's not hard to imagine him carving out a role this year, and hopefully keeping CMC fresh for our SB run.

Originally posted by communist:

Originally posted by 49ers81:

Originally posted by communist:
Neither a kicker nor a punter is ever worth a day two pick.
5th round is the earliest.

I guess we'll have to just disagree on that. Like I said, if you got a guy there who ended up being consistent and reliable, gave you ten years of service, and maybe even got to a Pro Bowl or two. that would be well worth a 3rd round pick.

With kickers and punters, it's all about cost benefit ratio. Simply put, you don't gain much by getting one earlier than on day 3 but you lose out on a normal player.

A normal player, like say a guard, who as a 3rd rounder maybe becomes a star, a reliable starter or rotation guy, or a journeyman who hangs around for a few years before he's out of the league. Anyone of those outcomes is as likely as the other. A good player is a good player I don't really care where they get picked, within reason. Would I spend a 1st or 2nd round pick on a kicker, no, but I didn't have a problem with the 3rd round. Like I said, if they had picked a kicker who gave them ten years of reliable service, it would have been well worth it.