Andrew Buller-Russ
Now that the dust is settling on the 2026 NFL Draft class, the San Francisco 49ers‘ roster is starting to come into focus. For a team that traded out of the first round, the 49ers have taken a lot of heat for their eight-man draft class. Yet, some of those selections could lead to tough decisions when general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan put together the team’s final 53-man roster.
One of the players the 49ers did draft was Indiana running back Kaelon Black in the third round with the 90th overall pick. Could his arrival lead to the departure of another recent 49ers draft pick?
Recently, The Athletic‘s 49ers insider Vic Tafur suggested that running back Isaac Guerendo “seems like he is buried (on the depth chart) and will be looking for a new team.” Tafur doesn’t suggest that the 49ers will trade Guerendo, but we’d imagine a respectable offer would lead to a deal.
The 49ers just selected Guerendo with the 129th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He started three games as a rookie and appeared in 16 overall, recording 420 yards and four touchdowns on 84 attempts. But last year, he appeared in 14 games and didn’t receive a carry. As Tafur noted, he’s buried, and Black’s arrival won’t make life any easier on Guerendo in the RB room.
The 49ers have starter Christian McCaffrey, and backups Jordan James, Black, Guerendo, Patrick Taylor Jr., and Sincere McCormick. While McCaffrey is the team’s workhorse, the 49ers are looking for another back who can give their All-Pro weapon a breather, and they may be ready to admit that Guerendo isn’t the solution they’ve been seeking.
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