49ers rookie guard Dominick Puni earned a top-10 spot in PFF’s 2025 rankings after starting all 17 games in 2024. His 81.5 run-blocking grade led the way.
The Pro Football Focus rankings continue for all 32 players at each position. The offensive line is a talking (or arguing) point for San Francisco 49ers fans. We discussed center earlier this week and Jake Brendal’s No. 24 ranking in that position. Offensive tackle Trent Williams clocked in at No. 4, ending his consecutive No. 1 streak.
Today, we are discussing the guard position, and second-year guard Dominick Puni has made the list at No. 10. Not too bad to start his second-year campaign. Puni ranks higher than his former teammate, Aaron Banks, who left to play guard for the Green Bay Packers in Free Agency. Banks came in at No. 32.
While that’s impressive, it also indicates that the guard position opposite Puni is now a question mark. Trent Williams will be holding down the fort on the left side, and Colton McKivitz will be at the correct tackle. That left guard spot will be one to watch in camp—maybe Connor Colby flashes as a rookie.
Back to Puni, here’s what PFF’s Mason Cameron said about the second-year right guard.
The third-round pick in 2024 hit the ground running in his rookie campaign, setting up what should be a highly productive career.
Puni posted the fifth-highest PFF overall grade (80.5) among qualifying guards. He stands out as a road-grading interior run blocker, with his 18.5% positively graded play rate on runs ranking fifth out of 77 guards.
Puni earns his rating based on his run blocking grade of 81.5. His pass blocking isn’t too shabby either at 68.9—but you can see where his strength is.
Just looking at Puni’s tape and reading his measurements once drafted indicated he’d be a star. The 49ers have always been hit or miss on the offensive line, and whenever they can get someone who spent most of their rookie season not giving up any ground to their quarterback, it’s a rarity.
This is even more impressive when you know Puni also spent most of his season starting. He started all 17 games in 2024 and looked like a veteran for a majority of them—a starter who has protected Brock Purdy and is a third-round pick. Much like how Brock Purdy has no reason to be as good as he is for the last pick in the draft, the same can be said about Puni as a third-round guard. But this is the 49ers.
The problem is, can he stick around? The 49ers almost had stability with Banks on the other side, but he played out of his price range, and the 49ers are left with Puni on one side and pray for Colby—or someone—to work.
As we’ve learned with Williams, Puni can’t shoulder the load of the offensive line. Jason already broke down Jake Brendal and his hot/cold play. Williams isn’t getting any younger, and while McKivitz is servicable, there are still a lot of questions about that offensive line.
The question will be when the 49ers can solidify this line for the future, and whether Puni will be affordable by the time they have a plan to do so.