The 49ers finally addressed the offensive line with their third pick of the 2024 NFL Draft
The San Francisco 49ers made their third selection of the 2024 NFL Draft, trading up eight spots with the Philadelphia Eagles to select Kansas Jayhawks offensive lineman Dominick Puni at No. 86.
Puni, a 6’5, 315-pound offensive lineman, is a sixth-year senior who played his first four seasons at Central Missouri before ending his career at Kansas as a two-year starter there.
What kind of player is Puni and what does this selection mean for the 49ers?
Puni’s profile
While he played offensive tackle at the collegiate level, Puni projects more as an interior offensive lineman, be it at guard or even center, at the next level, and the third-round pick acknowledged post-draft that the 49ers envision him more in that role.
Puni’s athletic profile (5.35 40-yard dash, 1.86 10-yard split) may not wow anyone, but he presents quick feet on film, which is what you need for the 49ers system.
In a way, he reminds me physically of Aaron Banks, who the 49ers have developed into at least an average-level guard over the past few years.
In addition to his solid frame at 6’5, 315 pounds, Puni has good arm size at 33 3/8’’ and hand size at 10 1/8’’ for an interior offensive lineman, and should be able to compete for the 49ers right away at right guard alongside Jon Feliciano and Spencer Burford, with the possibility of even competing at center.
Puni also looks the part of a very intelligent interior offensive lineman with his angles as a run-blocker, which makes up for his athletic profile, and he should develop into a strong all-around option for San Francisco.
Evaluating the pick
After bypassing on an offensive lineman in the second round, the 49ers traded up eight spots to get their guy, moving Nos. 94 and 132 to get Puni at No. 86 in the third round.
I love this pick for the 49ers, both in the sense of getting a good interior offensive lineman where the value was there and in going up to get your guy, rather than waiting, with the capital at your disposal.
San Francisco needed some offensive linemen in this class, and the interior needed to be as big of a focus as the tackle positions. That ultimately ends up being the case with Puni, who should compete to start at right guard or center in Year 1, while providing flexibility for the future as they navigate a potential extension for Aaron Banks.
The value at No. 86 is especially inherent for Puni, and the 49ers have quietly built a strong draft as the rounds have come along. Even with the trade-up, this is arguably San Francisco’s strongest pick in the class thus far.
What it means for the 49ers
With an offensive lineman in the books, I think the 49ers are in a really good spot heading into Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
At offensive line, the 49ers not only bring in some much-needed depth, but add a future starter to a group that could experience significant turnover next season.
Ultimately, there really aren’t many pressing “needs” for the 49ers at this point, which should allow them to just target the best players on the board, regardless of position. That could mean doubling up on any of the three positions that San Francisco already took.
I’ll be intrigued to see if the 49ers decide to move up the board more to begin Day 3 as they still have a bevy of picks in a weaker draft class when it comes to depth, but the team does have two fourth-rounders still at Nos. 124 and 135.
At the moment, it appears the 49ers will maintain their receiving core for the upcoming season, so they are fairly set in that department, but positions such as defensive line, center, and tight end still have a ton of value available at the top of Round 3.
So far, though, this is a strong start to the draft for the 49ers, who have identified players that fit their scheme well and secured value on the board.
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