The San Francisco 49ers opened their preseason schedule Saturday against the Tennessee Titans.
While most of the 49ers’ starters sat out, a handful of players who are expected to earn starting jobs in Week 1 took the field for the first exhibition match of the year.
Left guard Aaron Banks was among the starters. So was right tackle Colton McKivitz. Rookie third-round pick Dominick Puni also looks to be on track for a starting role in 2024.
He got the start in the preseason opener after taking hold of the right guard job in camp when Spencer Burford and Jon Feliciano both went down with injuries.
Puni looked to be the frontrunner for the job going into Saturday’s game. He solidified that spot with his performance in Tennessee.
There was never a point where Puni looked overwhelmed, and he never got soundly beat on a rep. He anchored well in pass protection, moved well in the run game. He also flashed good awareness to look for work and push running back Jordan Mason across the goal line to cap the 49ers’ first drive with a touchdown.
Puni looked the part of a starting offensive lineman playing in Week 1 of the preseason.
That he was removed from the game with the other starters is a sign that the coaching staff was happy with his debut.
There’ll be some finishing touches for Puni to put on the job. He’ll need to close training camp and preseason performing well, but all signs point to the right guard spot being his job to lose.
After not picking an offensive lineman until Round 3 of this year’s draft, finding a rookie starter at a position they haven’t had stability at would be a massive win for San Francisco.
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