FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in February. Here’s a look at Indiana running back Kaelon Black.
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2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Kaelon Black
Kaelon Black (RB – Indiana)
5’10” – 211 lbs.
Background:
Originally attended James Madison, where he played sparingly in his first two seasons (170 and 157 yards) before seeing his role progressively expand. Rushed for 70-349-3 (4.6) in 2022, then 145-668-1 (4.6) before transferring to Indiana. Served in a reserve capacity in 2024, with 46-251-2 (5.5) before breaking out this past season, rotating with Roman Hemby and finishing with a 186-1,034-10 (5.6) line.
Positives:
Made this past season by far his best as a student athlete, playing in an Indiana offense which featured a nice balance between gap and zone concepts. Runs with good knee bend and a naturally low center of gravity. Has quick feet and a good amount of lateral quickness in the backfield; able to recognize and slot into creases. Can play peek-a-boo behind blockers to make things difficult for defenders. Effective on one-cut concepts, with impressive burst. Able to run through arm tackles once he gets going. Finishes his runs well by getting low and delivering blows to opposing defenders. Shows a lot of physicality and urgency as a blocker, engaging with form and working hard through the whistle; plays bigger than he is in blitz pickup. Wasn’t thrown the ball too much at Indiana, but served as a safety valve for James Madison and has dropped just one career pass against 53 receptions. Has the speed to outrace opponents down the sidelines on wheel routes.
Negatives:
Overaged after spending six years in school. Not the biggest back, and could be a little smaller than his listed size. Can be corralled near the line of scrimmage before he gets a head of steam going. Not going to push the pile very much between the tackles; more violent in his approach than powerful in his lower body. Has some explosiveness and burst to his game, but is more of a chunk runner than a true home-run hitter. Looked pretty good in pass protection during the games reviewed, but appears to have struggled a bit in previous years. Wasn’t very well-integrated into Indiana’s passing game as a receiver, with just nine catches over the past two seasons.
Summary:
A naturally low runner with quick feet, nice burst, and impressive violence/physicality to his game, he emerged as a key piece of Indiana’s national title team, rotating with Roman Hemby and enjoying by far his best season. Looks like he could provide a spark in a running back rotation at the next level, although he doesn’t offer the most power as a runner or the most proven passing-game value. Didn’t get a Combine invite, so it seems like he’ll probably slip into the mid-to-late rounds on Draft Day, but there’s a lot to like about his competitive style.
Projection: Round 6
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