The San Francisco 49ers selected Kansas guard Dominick Puni with the No. 86 pick in Friday’s second round of the NFL Draft.
The team’s fans had been pining for someone who could protect Brock Purdy and they finally got that in Puni, who played both left tackle and left guard for the Jayhawks. Puni’s speed — a slow 5.35-second 40-yard dash — suggests that guard might be his NFL position, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler categorized him as such. He was Brugler’s fifth-best guard in the draft.
The 49ers traded up eight spots to get Puni, sending their third-round pick (No. 94) and a fourth-rounder (No. 132) to get him.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Puni ranked No. 56 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
A two-year starter at Kansas, Puni started at left tackle in former offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s balanced scheme. After four years at Central Missouri, he made the unlikely jump from Division II to the FBS and played at a high level at both tackle and guard in Lawrence (25 straight starts, zero sacks allowed).
Puni runs his feet and steers defenders in the run game with a mauling, yet measured mentality to make split-second adjustments on the move. Though he has some limitations in space as a pass blocker, he plays stout and mobile to answer different types of rushers.
Overall, Puni will get himself in trouble bending at the waist or letting his pads rise, but he plays big, and powerful and sends a harsh message with his hands while staying controlled through contact. He can play tackle, if needed, but projects best as an NFL starting guard or center.
Nick Baumgardner grades the pick
It’s a bit surprising Puni made it this far down the line. The former Kansas standout is a guard/tackle prospect who got a lot of pass protection work in college but also translates well inside to guard. A big man (33 3/8 arms, 10 1/8 hands), Puni needs to make sure he’s consistent with his bend — especially if he sticks outside – but there is a lot of potential here. Possibly even inside at center.
Grade: B+
How he fits
It’s possible that Puni could unseat incumbent Jon Feliciano at right guard this season. But it’s more likely that he will serve as a backup on the interior in 2024 and then move into a starting role next season. Feliciano is only signed for the current season while left guard Aaron Banks also is scheduled to become a free agent in March.
Puni cross-trained at tackle, guard and center at Kansas, which suggests he could be tapped in a pinch at any of those positions. He started 13 games at left guard in 2022 and 12 games at left tackle last season and didn’t allow a sack in any of those contests.
(Photo: Joe Robbins / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
