George Kittle drops ‘very fast’ impression on key 49ers newcomer

The San Francisco 49ers pivoted to gaining help for running back Christian McCaffrey in the NFL Draft. Yet grabbing Kaelon Black from Indiana so early caught most fans by surprise, believing he had more Day 3 value. All-Pro tight end George Kittle, however, dropped a “very fast” first impression of the rookie.

Kittle raved about the newcomer via 49ers insider David Lombardi on Friday.

“Very fast, very mature,” Kittle began. “What is he 25? I like old rookies because they’re ready to play. You don’t have to go through the immaturity part.”

George Kittle's first impressions of 49ers rookie RB Kaelon Black: "Very fast."

Also notes Black's maturity — he's 25. Might be the most ready-to-play RB 49ers have drafted. "Seasoned" rookie theme is real, by the way: SF pointedly went for ready-made draftees with experience pic.twitter.com/ckSaXbm65P

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) June 5, 2026

Again many scouts, analysts and fans felt San Francisco would go younger at the position. McCaffrey is nearing his 30s, the age where running backs show their most wear-and-tear. He continues to battle through injuries too, leading to fans criticizing head coach Kyle Shanahan for overusing McCaffrey.

Still, Black presents traits that speak to the national champion fitting in right away. Shanahan unapologetically backed the decision to draft the Hoosiers star so early.

“We had him as the second-rated back on the board,” Shanahan bluntly said on the Rich Eisen Show on April 30. “That’s just our evaluation of him. Right or wrong, that was our evaluation of him.”

Meaning Shanahan and the 49ers believed Black was the second-best RB in this 2026 class. This despite draft experts lowering Black’s stock.

The native of Virginia Beach earned a “candidate for the bottom of the roster or practice squad” label pre-draft. But he enters the league as a recent 1,000-yard and 10-touchdown option for IU. Black rose as a hidden gem to know during the 49ers’ OTA period.

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