SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have rarely asked a rookie offensive lineman to be the starter to open the season, but Dominic Puni could change that.
Puni, a third-round draft pick in 2024, has been in the spotlight due to a slew of injuries during training camp. He is set to become the first rookie to start on the 49ers’ offensive line in Week 1 since 2018, when first-round draft pick Mike McGlinchey made his debut at right tackle.
In an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Punie spoke about how he feels he has been able to play a key role as one of the team’s newest members.
“That’s probably been the biggest thing, keeping up with the playbook,” Puni told NBC Sports Bay Area. “The more confidence I have in what I’m doing, the faster I’m going to play, so that’s just how it’s been so far.”
Puni’s position mate, Jon Feliciano, recently had knee surgery that will keep the veteran guard out until midseason. Spencer Burford broke his hand during training camp but returned to individual workouts this week. Aaron Banks broke his pinkie finger, but coach Kyle Shanahan expects the left guard to be back by Week 1.
While the injury isn’t ideal, the situation allowed Puni to get plenty of time in both practice and in San Francisco’s preseason games. The versatile lineman played 45% of the team’s offensive snaps in the 49ers’ first preseason game and 58% the following week.
Part of the reason Puni was able to integrate so quickly with the team is the extra training he did between rookie minicamp and training camp. During the break, the rookie watched every meeting offensive line coach Chris Forster held so he’d have a head start when he reported to games in July.
“I wanted to get as much information as I could about the offense,” Puni said. “When I came into rookie minicamp, I just wanted to get a head start. I didn’t want to just get up and learn everything. (I) wanted to watch film early and cut down on some easy mistakes that I could avoid. That’s all I was trying to do – get started early.”
Puni’s work ethic didn’t go unnoticed by Forster, who reportedly demanded all of the coaching “instruction meetings” and installations immediately after Puni was drafted.
“He wanted every single meeting,” Forster said. “By the time he showed up for rookie minicamp, which I think was two weeks after the draft, he had seen Phase 1, Phase 2 and all the installation meetings we had had up to that point.
“And he answers every question right. He’s a very smart kid. He doesn’t say a word. Very, very smart. Very tough, very strong. And he doesn’t waver. He’s just a steady Eddie. But he works very hard, very diligent. I don’t think I’ve ever met an offensive lineman who’s been great. I can’t sit through all those meetings, but he grabbed it and he ate it. So good for him.”
Puni has a slight advantage coming from his football background at Kansas, which operates a similar offense, and while the 24-year-old said Shanahan’s playbook is the toughest he’s ever learned, there are also familiar aspects of the system.
The young lineman’s work won’t end anytime soon, and Puni understands the responsibility that comes with the club selecting him with the 86th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“Personally, I think when you draft somebody, it means they’re being drafted for a reason, so I’m going to give it my all,” Puni said. “They trusted me with the draft, so I’m going to give it my all. I don’t want them to feel like they made a mistake.”
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