49ers Talk: Where rookie running back Kaelon Black stood out most during OTAs
On "49ers Talk," Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan discuss what they are seeing from San Francisco's rookies during OTAs in Santa Clara.
49ers Talk: Where rookie running back Kaelon Black stood out most during OTAs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Video Transcript
But yeah, the guy that really stood out to me was Kaylon Black, third round pick, number 90 overall.
caught the ball during his time at James Madison, but not too much at Indiana.
I thought he just looked so natural catching the ball, running routes, and I, I think he has a chance to, to be, I think he has a really strong chance to be the number two running back this year, and if he is, I, I could see the 49ers definitely targeting him in the passing game.
Absolutely.
He looked very natural running short routes.
Again, another option along with Christian McCaffrey, Christian Kirk, the Christians, in those short yardage games.
Kaylon Black looked like he hadn't skipped a beat since his two years at James Madison.
There was one pass, and I don't think it was from Brock Purdy, but it was out in front of him, and he reached out and it was a fingertip catch.
I thought he wasn't gonna make the, the reception, pulled it in, and then ran for some yards after catch.
so just a natural-looking receiver along with being, you know, able to run the ball obviously.
but I think he's a guy who, you know, you saw him and Jordan James take over.
No Isaac Guerendo.
Christian McCaffrey had the day off on Thursday, so it was really Jordan James and Kaylon Black.
It was them carrying the ball most, almost the entire time at practice on Thursday.
And I thought, you know, Dejon Stribling, there was the f- or pretty early in that practice, he made a really nice leaping catch.
di- didn't have the kind of targets and, you know, the, the catches that the other players that we mentioned, Pearsall, Cowing, and, and Watkins, but, he made, and, Christian Kirk, but he did have one catch and, and does definitely looks the part, you know, the size, the speed, the hands.
It's just a matter of, you know, the route running.
You know, people always ask me, "Oh, you know, Kyle Shanahan, he hates playing rookies.
He won't play rookies."
He doesn't mind playing rookies at all.
He just doesn't like playing guys who aren't where the quarterback is expecting them to be, and sometimes that's rookies.
It makes sense that it's rookies, but, you know, last year it was the veteran guys.
You know, Kendrick Bourne and DeMarcus Robinson, you know, they saw a reduction in playing time because of, you know, th- they're not rookies, but they, they saw a reduction in playing time too.
So I think the, the door is open for the 49ers to get some contributions from their rookie class.
