After moving back in the second round, the San Francisco did the opposite in the third round, moving up from No. 94 to No. 86 on day two of the draft. The 49ers traded No. 94 overall pick, and the No. 132 overall pick (Round 4) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the 86th selection.
Following a trade-up, the 49ers selected Kansas Jayhawk offensive lineman Dominick Puni at No. 86 overall. While playing for Central Missouri and Kansas in college, Puni bounced around to different positions at the offensive line, including guard and tackle.
The 6-foot-5, 313 lb offensive lineman earned First-team All-Big 12 conference honors last season in Lawerence. According to Pro Football Focus, Puni earned an 80.6 grade last season while not allowing a single sack on 342 pass-blocking snaps.
Following the 49ers third-round selection, the Niners Wire team linked up to stamp grades on the pick.
Kyle Madson – Managing Editor:
This is a nice pick for the 49ers because Puni could theoretically answer a bunch of different questions on San Francisco’s offensive line. He projects as a guard and he could be in the mix to offer an upgrade at right guard. He played a ton of tackle in college though which gives the 49ers reason to believe he might be able to compete as an upgrade over right tackle Colton McKivitz. If he doesn’t beat out any of them, he’s a versatile depth piece who could develop into a long-term starter a la Aaron Banks. San Francisco didn’t reach to fill their biggest need, and instead traded up in Round 3 by giving up just their third-round pick and one of their trio of fourth-round picks. Nice work by John Lynch and Co.
Grade: B+
Tommy Call – Contributor:
Heading into the draft, the offensive line felt like the biggest position group of need. And I saw group, because you could make the argument guard, tackle and even center could be addressed in the draft. However, through two rounds, the 49ers didn’t look at the offensive line.
Yet, finally, in round two, the 49ers answered the call of many fans and drafted an offensive lineman. And not just any offensive lineman; a player that has proven experience at multiple positions on the offensive line, essentially filling that need across the position group. Dominick Puni thrived at offensive tackle for the Jayhawks last season, not allowing a single sack. Yet before shifting to tackle, Puni played guard in Kansas. Puni could instantly compete at multiple positions for the Niners on the offensive line while he continues to develop.
Grade: A
