San Francisco 49ers

GOOD NEWS: Rookie Dominick Puni Cracks Top 100 After Insane Debut Season! šŸ’„šŸˆ

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49ers Rookie Dominick Puni Cracks NFLā€™s Top 100 After Stellar Debut Season

When the San Francisco 49ers selectedĀ Dominick PuniĀ in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, his role wasnā€™t entirely clear. Would he be a tackle? A guard? A versatile depth piece?

Fast forward a year, and Puni has not only locked down a starting jobā€”heā€™s emerged as one of the best young offensive linemen in the league.

Puni Makes PFFā€™s Top 101 List

Pro Football Focus just released its list of theĀ top 101 players from the 2024 NFL season, and Puni snuck in atĀ No. 100 overallā€”a rare feat for a rookie offensive lineman.

Given the right guard job in training camp due to injuries ahead of him, Puni quickly proved he was the teamā€™sĀ best option at the position. He became the highest-graded rookie offensive lineman by PFF and finished the season with an impressiveĀ 80.5 overall grade.

A Dominant Force in the Run Game

Puniā€™s biggest strength?Ā Run blocking.Ā HisĀ 81.5 run-blocking gradeĀ ranked among the best at his position, helping the 49ers maintain their physical, downhill rushing attack.

While he showed promise as a pass blocker, there were growing pains. He allowedĀ 35 pressures and three sacks, but considering he was adjusting to a new position at the NFL level, his performance was more than encouraging.

From College Star to NFL Standout

Puniā€™s journey to the NFL spotlight has been anything but conventional. At Kansas, heĀ shined at left guardĀ before moving toĀ left tackle, where he played even better. With the 49ers needing upgrades on the right side of their offensive line, he stepped in at right guard and didnā€™t look backā€”startingĀ all 17 gamesĀ in his rookie season.

Whatā€™s Next for Puni?

For San Francisco, hitting on a third-round pick like Puni is huge. He was thrown into the fire and not onlyĀ held his own but thrived. Even better? HisĀ arrow is pointing straight up heading into 2025.

If Puni can continue to develop, especially in pass protection, he could go from an underrated draft steal to one of the leagueā€™s top interior linemen. The 49ers might have found a long-term building block in the trenchesā€”and the best may still be yet to come.

Hope this article has provided you with useful information. Donā€™t forget to visit regularly for more exciting reads!

 

 

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