The San Francisco 49ers have a few battles for starting spots on going on right now.

Running back is not one of those positions where the starter is in question. Barring injury, Christian McCaffrey is the starter, and he’s expected to play at an elite level once again. However, there is some competition going on behind the star.

2025 fifth-round pick Jordan James has been penciled in at RB2 all summer. However, James has missed a few weeks with a rib injury, and because of that, his spot as the primary backup is in jeopardy.

The 49ers drafted Kaelon Black in the third round this year, and he’s an intriguing prospect. Black has also been dealing with an injury, but he returned this week, and suited up in Thursday’s contest.

After Black’s impressive debut, it seems like there’s a new frontrunner for the RB2 job.

Black Impresses in Preseason Debut

Returning from an adductor injury, Black was eased into things on Thursday. The rookie ended up making the most of his opportunities, though, taking eight carries for 33 yards.

Those numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping, but it’s how he looked that was impressive. The rookie was decisive in his decision-making, and he looked explosive. Black had a nine-yard run that was should have been a loss, but he powered through with his second effort.

The rookie even earned the praise of Kyle Shanahan.

“I was real happy with him,” Shanahan said of Black after the win. “Seeing him for his first practice there on Tuesday versus the Chargers you could see it a little bit, and I thought nothing changed today. I thought he ran real physical. Would love to keep him in there a little bit longer, but with it being his second day back, I wanted to be smart with him.”

As Shanahan mentioned, Black could have shown even more, but the coach didn’t want to push it right off an injury. It certainly sounds like Black will get more and more work before the season begins, though.

It also helps Black that James was unable to suit up. James will need to get healthy soon if he wants to fend the rookie off for that primary backup role.

Running Back Depth No Longer a Concern?

Before this week, the running back room was starting to cause some concern. McCaffrey, Black, and James were all out with injuries, and the healthy backups were not good in the preseason opener.

However, Black is back, and he looks exactly like what the team was hoping for. Plus, depth running back Sincere McCormick also had a nice game, leading the team with 53 yards and one score.