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Kyle Shanahan takes subtle draft dig at Seahawks when discussing Kaelon Black
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- Kyle Shanahan takes subtle draft dig at Seahawks when discussing Kaelon Black
Kyle Shanahan takes subtle draft dig at Seahawks when discussing Kaelon Black appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The San Francisco 49ers landed mixed reviews after completing their 2026 rookie class. Taking Kaelon Black at No. 90 overall became a debatable NFL Draft topic. What drove head coach Kyle Shanahan and company to take the Indiana football star?
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Shanahan didn't just explain the move on The Rich Eisen Show, but took a subtle dig at the rival Seattle Seahawks in the process.
The 49ers' rivals pulled their own stunner on night one of the draft: Grabbing Notre Dame RB2 Jadarian Price at No. 32 despite never producing a 1,000-yard season. Seattle's pick instilled the belief the backup to Jeremiyah Love was the No. 2 back in the draft. Shanahan begged to differ, however, in explaining the Black pick.
"We had him as the second-rated back on the board," Shanahan bluntly said. "That's just our evaluation of him. Right or wrong, that was our evaluation of him."
Taking Black that early comes with big risks on SF's side, though.
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He never received an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine to join fellow heralded teammates Fernando Mendoza, Omar Cooper Jr., Elijah Sarratt, etc. Still, Shanahan trusted his evaluation and the scouting from the front office.
"You evaluate him and you think 'this is a third round running back,'" Shanahan said. "This wasn't as deep of a draft as years past for running backs. But by the time the draft came, we felt everyone was looking at him as a fourth round pick. Well, if he's a fourth round pick, if we want him I'll take him at No. 90 in the third."
History falls on the side of SF though: Tyrion Davis-Price rose as a surprise third rounder in 2022 at 93rd overall. He only has 127 career rushing yards. Shanahan believes the 49ers will be alright, though.
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