Inside intel from a former 49ers coordinator triggered a high-stakes draft heist, as Seattle snagged Jadarian Price to block their rival from finding Christian McCaffrey’s inevitable successor.
The post draft postmortem for the 2026 NFL Draft has uncovered a fascinating subplot involving the NFC West’s two biggest heavyweights. While the San Francisco 49ers were busy trading out of the first round and eventually landing wideout De'Zhaun Stribling at No. 33, the Seattle Seahawks were reportedly operating out of fear of what Kyle Shanahan might do.
In a move that raised eyebrows across the league, Seattle used the No. 32 overall pick, the final selection of the first round, on Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price. According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, the Seahawks' decision was fueled by a belief that if they didn't take Price, the 49ers would snag him just one pick later to kick off the second round.
The Brian Fleury Connection
Why was Seattle so convinced the 49ers were hunting for a running back? Look no further than the Seahawks' coaching staff. Seattle’s new offensive coordinator, Brian Fleury, spent the last seven seasons in San Francisco. Most notably, he finished his tenure in 2025 as Shanahan’s run game coordinator. As Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle points out, Fleury has "unique insight" into how the 49ers view the longevity of nearly 30 year old Christian McCaffrey.
With the 49ers' rushing attack statistically sliding from No. 3 in 2023 to No. 24 in 2025, Fleury likely advised his new team that Shanahan was desperate to find McCaffrey's eventual successor. Seattle, having lost star back Kenneth Walker to the Chiefs in free agency, decided they couldn't risk letting a talent like Price fall into a rival's hands.
A Case of Bad Intel?
While Seattle felt they "blocked" the 49ers, the reality in Santa Clara may have been quite different. When the 49ers finally did address the backfield in the third round with Kaelon Black, Kyle Shanahan dropped this tidbit: the 49ers had Black rated as the second best running back in the entire draft.
"We had him as the second-rated back on the board," Shanahan told reporters. "That's just our evaluation of him."
If Shanahan is to be believed, the Seahawks may have spent a first round pick to "leapfrog" the 49ers for a player San Francisco didn't even have at the top of their list. It creates a fascinating "he-said, she-said" dynamic and either Seattle successfully played keep away, or they used the 49ers as a convenient excuse to justify a first round reach of their own.
The "Expiration Date" for CMC
Regardless of whether the Seahawks' intel was accurate, the 49ers’ eventual selection of Black at No. 90 suggests the organization is indeed bracing for life after McCaffrey. Though McCaffrey remained a touchdown machine in 2025, his 3.9 yards per carry was a career low.
Branch speculates that the high grade on Black signals that the 49ers may not extend McCaffrey when his contract expires in 2027. By selecting a back with 4.45 speed and a physical, "no-stutter" running style, Shanahan is telegraphing his plan to return to a more explosive, youth driven ground game.
The Verdict
The Seahawks walked away with a popular consensus pick in Jadarian Price, while the 49ers took a massive PR hit for "reaching" on Kaelon Black. However, if Black becomes the productive hammer Shanahan envisions, the Seahawks’ first round "theft" might go down as a swing and a miss in the ultimate game of draft day chess.