Niners Nation on Kaelon Black
From the article
Rookie Kaelon Black had 14 carries to McCaffrey's 10... Black had 65 yards on his 14 rushes, an average of 4.6 yards... Both running backs finished the game with positive EPA per rush numbers (Black 0.02 and McCaffrey 0.27).
STACKED’s take
Black's 14 carries, 4.6 YPC, and earned trust justify third-round draft capital.
Rookie third-round pick Kaelon Black earned significant Week 1 workload and efficiency metrics that justify the draft investment. Black had 14 carries for 65 yards (4.6 YPC) and 0.02 EPA per rush, showing explosiveness through the hole on zone runs. Kyle Shanahan confirmed Black's usage was intentional, part of a planned balanced approach with McCaffrey. McCaffrey praised Black post-game: 'He did incredible... he's a force and he's someone who's going to help our team a whole lot.' The source credits Black's rest for McCaffrey's improved efficiency (6.8 YPC) and notes Black was drafted in the third round despite most projecting him much later, suggesting the source views his Week 1 performance as validation of Shanahan's conviction.
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