SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have rarely asked a rookie offensive lineman to open up the season as a starter, but Dominick Puni might be changing that trend.
The 2024 third-round draft pick has been thrust into the spotlight after the injury bug hit the position during training camp. Puni is set to be the first rookie to start on the 49ers' offensive line in a Week 1 game since 2018, when first-round draft pick Mike McGlinchey debuted at right tackle.
In an exclusive with NBC Sports Bay Area, Puni shared how he’s been able to carve out a pivotal role as one of the newest members of the team.
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“Probably keeping up with the playbook has been the most important thing,” Puni told NBC Sports Bay Area. “The more confident you are in what you’re doing, the faster you’ll play, so that’s how it’s been so far.”
Puni’s position mate Jon Feliciano recently underwent knee surgery which will sideline the veteran guard until mid-season. Spencer Burford broke his hand during training camp and returned to participating in individual drills this week. Aaron Banks broke his pinky finger but coach Kyle Shanahan is hopeful that the left guard will be able to return by Week 1.
While injuries are not ideal, the situation has allowed Puni to get a lot of reps during both practice and San Francisco's preseason games. The versatile lineman was on the field for 45 percent of the team's offensive snaps in the 49ers' first preseason game and 58 percent the following week.
One reason why Puni has been able to assimilate quickly is the extra work he did between rookie mini camp and training camp. During the break, the rookie watched every meeting that offensive line coach Chris Foerster held in order to be ahead of the game when he reported in July.
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“I just wanted to get as much information on the offense as I could,” Puni said. “When I showed up for rookie mini camp, I felt like I just wanted to get a jump ahead. I didn’t just want to get up and learn everything. [I wanted to] ease out simple mistakes that I could avoid by watching film early. That is everything I was trying to do, just get on it early.”
Puni’s diligence did not go unnoticed by Foerster who was told that right after being drafted, the lineman asked for all of the coach’s “teach meetings” and installs.
“He wanted every single meeting,” Foerster said. “By the time he showed up for rookie minicamp, which I think was two weeks after the Draft, he’d watched all of my install meetings from Phase 1, Phase 2, and everything we’d done to that point.
“And he answers every question right. He is a very intelligent kid. Doesn’t say a word. Very, very smart. Very tough. Strong. And he doesn’t sway. He is just steady Eddie. But he works extremely hard and he’s very diligent. I don’t think I’ve had an offensive lineman – I know I couldn’t sit through all those meetings – He grabbed them and ate them up. So good for him.”
Puni does have a slight advantage from his football experience at Kansas which runs a similar offense. While the 24-year-old shared that Shanahan’s playbook is the toughest he has had to learn yet, there were familiar aspects to the system.
The work for the young lineman won't stop anytime soon. Puni understands the commitment that the club made in selecting him as the No. 86 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
“I just feel like personally, if you draft somebody, they take you for a reason, so I’m going to do everything I can,” Puni said. “They put belief in me by drafting me so I’m going to give them everything I got. I don’t want them to feel like they made a mistake.”
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