Bruising rookie Kaelon Black making noise in 49ers’ running back room

SANTA CLARA – The 49ers’ trademark play is outside zone, a run in which the offensive line flows in one direction and the running back is required to make a quick decision.

Though he is only a rookie out of Indiana, Kaelon Black already looks comfortable finding a seam and taking on contact in his first preseason. Black took eight carries in Thursday’s victory over the Chargers and turned them into 33 yards.

Such production in a zone-based scheme was nothing new for a back who piled up 2,261 yards and 16 touchdowns in four seasons split across James Madison and Indiana.

“I would definitely say it’s about the time put in and just being focused on the details,” Black said Saturday. “I ran a lot of zone in Indiana, and even at James Madison with the same coach … but you’re on a different level now, this is the pro leagues, so you have to stick your foot in the ground and have to get vertical and impose your will.”

Though Patrick Taylor is on the injured reserve and Isaac Guerendo is still on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, the 49ers’ running back room is beginning to take shape.

Star Christian McCaffrey is expected to be ready to play by the time the 49ers kick off the regular season in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams, Sincere McCormick has carved out a role for himself, Jordan James returned to practice and ran with the second string offense after battling a rib injury and now Black is making an impression.

Bruising runs were Black’s speciality on Indiana’s national championship-winning team, and with a 208-pound frame, he has the ability to run through contact at the pro level, too.

But the rookie wanted to focus on his ability to protect the passer, something he will need to do if he wants to carve out a role in coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

That has been an area of the game he and longtime running backs coach Bobby Turner have honed in on since Black joined the organization.

“He’s very hard on me and making sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing on the field,” Black said. “He has very high expectations for me.”

The next time Black and the 49ers will be in action is Thursday, when they travel to Las Vegas to play the Raiders – and Black’s IU teammate Fernando Mendoza – in the preseason finale.

MORRIS TALKS ROOKIES

Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris gave his thoughts on the progress made by a pair of 49ers rookies during the preseason.

Fifth-round selection Jaden Dugger is still a raw product coming out of Louisiana, but the 6-foot-4, 240-pound linebacker is getting opportunities in practice to try his hand at a variety of spots. He had two tackles and a pass defensed against the Chargers.

“He’s finding his role, he’s finding his niche and he’s doing some really good things,” Morris said. “He’s one of the people who rushed the passer before in college, and you’ve seen him off the ball cover in college … you’ve seen him in the secondary. We’ve seen him do a bunch of different things in college, and he’s (going to try to) translate that skillset into what we’ve taught him.”

Edge rusher Romello Height is yet to record a sack or pressure, but Morris believed the 25-year-old rookie displayed improvement in Thursday’s game compared to his debut. Height had a tackle for loss against the Chargers.

“He showed a little bit of flash in the first game, showed a little bit more this game, and he’s got more left out there, so there’s more meat on the bone,” Morris said.

INJURY UPDATES

Starting cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and standout rookie receiver De’Zhaun Stribling were listed as day-to-day with shoulder injuries. Meanwhile, defensive tackle CJ West and offensive lineman Dominick Puni returned from concussions.

Rookie Carver Willis got first-team reps at right guard, and Jordan James saw action with the second team after missing time with a rib injury.

Renardo Green, Malik Mustapha, Kurtis Rourke, Wesley Grimes, Nate Hobbs, Zamir White, Jalen Graham, Kyle Juszczyk, Nick Martin, Austen Pleasants, Robert Jones, Vederian Lowe, Brett Toth and Malik Turner did not participate in practice Saturday.