49ers RG Dominick Puni Was the Steal of the 2024 NFL Draft

6 Guards were taken ahead of Dominick Puni, none of them are better than him.

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers guard Dominick Puni (77) after defeating the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Brandon Coleman, Isaiah Adams, Cooper Beebe, Christian Haynes, and Zak Zinter. These were the six guards taken ahead of Dominick Puni. None of them have been as good as him.

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The excellence of Trent Williams usually bolsters the 49ers offensive line to an above-average group, but they are even better this season. Why is that? The Niners have a new co-star for Trent Williams, and his name is Dominick Puni.

Dominick Puni was a starter on Kansas for all of his senior year and displayed amazing pass blocking prowess. Puni had a PFF Grade of 90.4 for Pass Blocking, his run blocking lagged behind with a grade of 72.3, but he still showed potential for improvement. Draft analysts labeled him as a good-sized, nimble guard who was very talented with his hand timing. Those were some great positives, but the negatives brought down his draft grade substantially. Supposedly he had weak legs, difficulty maintaining body control against athletic pass rushers, and was easily knocked off balance.

All of that led him to receive a 6.2 Prospect Grade, essentially calling him a future average starter. Oh man, they were wrong.

Since the start of the season, Dominick Puni has been essential to this offensive line. Puni has the second most snap counts on the 49ers Offense and is #2 in PFF's pass and run blocking grades amongst all 49ers O-lineman. He has been a constant for this unit.

To ensure that the eye test matches all the analytical analysis, I rewatched the entire Buccaneers vs. Niners game and solely watched Puni's performance. There were a few plays where I got to see some of his weaknesses' from the draft profile, the losing control against more athletic rushers in particular, but even in those moments, he gave Purdy enough time to get the ball out. Puni had countless 1v1s against Tampa's best interior lineman Vita Vea. All 346 Pounds of Vea were being controlled by Puni. Vea would certainly move Puni back a yard, but Puni was able to get his mitts on Vea and keep him in front of him. Even against the Bucs athletic defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, Puni would stand his ground. There were a few plays in which he lost control, but he still was able to block long enough to allow Purdy to throw the ball. Whether it was a small shove to send him off course, or a quality start to the block to give more time, he got the job done.

Puni has proven he wasn't a 6.2 prospect, he was a 7. He is an All-Pro-worthy player, and he isn't even near his prime. All of those little issues that he has shown can all be improved on massively. All with time, and let's not forget he is only in his rookie season. He can easily play until he's in his late 30s assuming health remains on his side. Puni has the potential to be the new Trent Williams of this unit. The constant Pro Bowl and All-Pro player that defenses scheme around. And the best thing about it, they got him in the 3rd round.

The 49ers 2024 draft class has shown to be one of the best in the league. All of their picks in the first 4 rounds have been played and shown great promise, but none have shown All-Pro capabilities besides Puni. If the Niners can continue to bring rookies in who are as talented as this core, their Super Bowl window could be open forever.

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