'I Gotta Prove My Coach Right,' Kaelon Black Reacts to Criticism of 49ers During NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers have received much criticism for their 2026 draft class, with analysts believing the team reached on picks.

One of those selections, Indiana running back Kaelon Black, is determined to prove the critics wrong, as relayed by David Bonilla of 49ers Web Zone.

"It makes me want to go harder," Black said regarding the criticism. "I gotta prove my coach right. I'd be lying if I said I haven't seen the backlash that he's been getting for the pick, but we just stay the course, we stay focused, and we're going to keep moving and try to prove him right."

The 49ers loved Black and had him as the No. 2 running back on their board, per head coach Kyle Shanahan.

"We had him as the second-rated back on the board," Shanahan said on The Rich Eisen Show. "So, that's just our evaluation, right or wrong that's our evaluation."

There was definitely a gap between where some analysts had Black and where the 49ers picked. For example, the B/R NFL Scouting Department big board had Black ranked 210th among all prospects. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had him 179th overall. NFL.com graded him at 5.69, which slotted him as a "candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad)."

Black does enter the NFL on the heels of a great 2025 season. He was a key part of Indiana's national championship team, which went 16-0. Black gained 1,040 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns on 186 carries (5.6 yards per carry).

The 49ers obviously have great belief in Black, who went 90th overall (third-round pick). He could certainly carve out a successful career in the pros.

Christian McCaffrey leads the San Francisco backfield now, but it's conceivable Black could be the lead backup. His competition includes Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, Patrick Taylor and Sincere McCormick. We'll see soon enough as the offseason progresses.