San Francisco’s third round selection opens up some options for the offensive line.
After not taking an offensive line on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers traded up in the third round to select Kansas’s Dominick Puni with the No. 86 pick, finally addressing the position.
Puni, a sixth-year senior, played tackle at Kansas but is expected to move inside to play guard for the 49ers, according to general manager John Lynch. This would provide San Francisco with another young option along the interior.
However, the big takeaway was that the 49ers elected not to take an offensive tackle, which many had speculated could be the case, especially early given the depth of the position in the draft class.
As a result, San Francisco heads into the 2024 season without a long-term replacement for star Trent Williams or second-year starter Colton McKivitz, which both highlights their trust in the latter and the uncertainty next offseason should the former retire.
For now, the 49ers have their offensive line group set for the upcoming season, but could we see some experimenting across different positions?
Let’s start at right guard.
Currently, the 49ers have Jon Feliciano penciled in as the starter after he took over for Spencer Burford late in the season. But, both options remain on the table, with Burford competing as well to potentially be a part of a timeshare at the position.
Then, insert Dominick Puni, who has a clearer shot at playing time on the right side with Aaron Banks occupying the left guard spot, creating even more competition at the position.
While Puni has room for improvement, he’s arguably ready to play, and even start, in Year 1, and should get the opportunity to showcase that in training camp.
With the three players, we now have an abundance of talent at right guard, while the other positions along the offensive line don’t have as much depth.
Should Puni impress and do enough to earn a starting spot, could we see Jon Feliciano move back to center, a position he has experience playing?
Jake Brendel has been an average option at the position, but San Francisco doesn’t have a clear upgrade over him at the position. Feliciano, however, could split time between center and guard in training camp, providing more opportunities for the younger options.
San Francisco needs at least some of their rookies to be early contributors and Puni fits the mold with his college experience and readiness, even if he plays a position that generally doesn’t see as much early run with the 49ers.
One other possibility? Moving Spencer Burford over to tackle.
Currently, the 49ers have Jaylon Moore as their top option for the swing tackle role, but they could give Burford some reps on the outside, moving him back to the position he played in college.
Burford has struggled with power in the NFL and might be better suited to be in a role that showcases his athleticism more as he looks to revitalize his San Francisco tenure.
Kicking Burford outside would open up reps on the interior and give San Francisco a flexible option along the offensive line, keeping possibilities open come roster cutdown day.
Now, there’s also the scenario where Puni may not be as ready to compete on Day 1, to where the 49ers could roll out their starting five for another season.
In that case, the 49ers could have options for the 2025 season, as left guard Aaron Banks is scheduled to be a free agent. Given the state of the line currently, it may be in the team’s best interest to retain the 2021 second-rounder, but the market for guards could continue to explode, potentially making it hard for the team to extend Banks next offseason.
San Francisco could look to experiment Puni at both guard spots this offseason, with him taking over the place he’s most comfortable in next season if Banks ultimately walks.
Ultimately though, the 49ers have a number of options along the interior with the addition of Puni to the group, and those changes could be coming to fruition as early as this offseason if the Kansas offensive lineman can make a quick transition to the NFL game.
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