Dominick Puni's outstanding rookie campaign as the 49ers' starting right guard would lead many, including teammate Trent Williams, to believe the Kansas product had plenty of experience at the position prior to entering the NFL.
After San Francisco's 36-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday at Lumen Field, Williams revealed how stunned he was to learn this is Puni's first season playing right guard given how well the rookie has performed.
"It's amazing. I didn't know he didn't play right guard in college, so I just learned something," Williams told reporters after Thursday's win. "Which is crazy, because he literally has the makings of an Pro Bowl/All-Pro player at that position. So, like I said, he's a godsend. He's a really, really good kid. Really, really professional. He gained his teammates' respect just by the way he carried himself."
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Puni has yet to allow a sack in his NFL career, and is responsible for just 11 quarterback pressures through his first six professional starts, per Pro Football Focus.
Puni's 78.3 PFF grade ranks second among all NFL rookie offensive linemen, trailing only Pittsburgh Steelers center Zach Frazier (81.8).
Williams' profound respect for Puni is mutual, with the rookie taking every opportunity possible to soak up any knowledge he can from the future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
"Trent, he's just different. I don't think there's too many people who can do what he can do," Puni told NBC Sports Bay Area after the 49ers' Week 4 win over the New England Patriots. "That's what I've learned, he's just different. He sees so much, he don't really need to ask questions. He knows what to do. I just pick up kind of things like his work ethic, how he does his routine, he's been doing it for 15 years. I'm just trying to channel him for real."
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After being selected No. 86 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Puni looks like the latest mid-round steal that has been the backbone of San Francisco's successful roster construction during the Kyle Shanahan/John Lynch era.
Williams' heartfelt praise is extremely gratifying validation for an offensive lineman to receive, but that isn't going to allow Puni to get complacent.
"If you don't work hard, talent don't matter," Puni told NBC Sports Bay Area.
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