San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak spoke about rookie running back Kaelon Black’s performance last Thursday.

Black left enough of an impression in pass protection for Brock Purdy to mention it to the media. Kubiak said, “That was just as impressive. He was on it from the second snap of the game. They brought a blitz, and he was on it, and he was stout.

Not surprising, though. He’s a sharp young man. He’s in his playbook. He’s very coachable. Bobby T[urner] got him on the right page. He’s just got to keep going, keep getting better.”

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The eye test looked different with Black running the football compared to what we saw from the runners in Week 1. Black created on his own and was elusive enough to work his way back to the line of scrimmage despite multiple linemen missing their blocks. He showed plenty of promise.

Kubiak said, “I loved how he ran. He really brought kind of a spark to our offense. He’s a guy who you don’t have to block it perfect every time. He’s going to muscle his way through for five, six yards, but he’s got good speed to burst and get some explosive runs. I thought he did a really good job.

His first time in NFL action, the moment wasn’t big for him. He didn’t blink. He was ready to go. Love his development. Love where he’s at, but he needs to keep getting better, too, and stacking days. I think we’re going to have a good player on our hands down the road, but he’s got to keep pushing himself every day.”

Black made an impact in the passing game without catching a pass. During OTAs and the early parts of training camp, Black was active as a wide receiver. The 49ers would attempt to isolate him against linebackers, using Black’s speed as a weapon.

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According to Kubiak, that’s the next step in Black’s development:

“Yeah, we’re definitely trying to get him involved, definitely trying to get him some of those reps whether it’s choice routes, option routes, things out of the backfield that we ask our backs to do consistently. That’s a big part of his development, for sure, and getting the comfort and timing with the quarterback. I thought he’s done a nice job here in these couple practices in that area. But again, it’s the same thing. It’s just more reps, more growth, but he takes that jump and continues developing the pass game. We’re excited about him.”

Kubiak also mentioned how he was excited to have Jordan James back in the fold. He didn’t want to slight the other running backs who have been out there, but Kubiak said, “we drafted these guys for a reason.”

The battle for RB2 is a competition that’s unlikely to be solved by Week 1. That rotation will continue throughout the year.