The San Francisco 49ers have had a competition for the starting right guard position throughout the offseason. The top two competitors were Spencer Burford and Jon Feliciano, entering training camp. Burford enters his third year with 29 career starts, including 13 in 2023, while Feliciano enters his tenth with 61 starts, including ten (three at LG and seven at RG, counting their three playoff games) in 2023.
The 49ers interior hasn’t been able to stay healthy recently. Spencer Burford fractured his right hand in their first week of training camp. He didn’t undergo surgery and hasn’t practiced since. Before he injured his hand, he received the majority of first-team reps.
The San Francisco 49ers veteran offensive lineman is dealing with a knee injury
Jon Feliciano is another interior offensive lineman who’s injured. Feliciano has been dealing with knee soreness/irritation since the start of training camp, missing some practices and their first preseason game. Kyle Shanahan described his injury as week-to-week.
Given the injuries to Burford and Feliciano, their rookie has received a lot of playing time.
The San Francisco 49ers’ rookie has received extended playing time
Dominick Puni has received lots of playing time at right guard while Spencer Burford and Jon Feliciano recover from their respective injuries. Their third-round pick has received first-team reps with the first-team offense and started their first preseason game. He continues to perform well and is now the clear favorite to start Week 1.
Dominick Puni impressed Kyle Shanahan
“We were excited about him right away,” said head coach Kyle Shanahan. “But when you lose the two guys in front of him who both started a lot of games last year, a guy gets thrown in there before you want to throw them in there. Sometimes that can make guys better, but sometimes when they get put in a position that they aren’t quite ready for you get overwhelmed and it takes you a while to kind of get that confidence back. He’s been good since his first snap. So it hasn’t seemed too big for him. He’s gotten better each day in practice. And when you see that, you really want to see how it is in the game and see if anything changes. He looked the same in the game as practice. So we’re excited about that.”
Conclusion
To conclude, injuries to Spencer Burford and Jon Feliciano have allowed Dominick Puni, their third-round pick, to receive extended playing time at right guard and currently has the inside track to start Week 1. He has caught the attention of many people including their head coach. Will he carry his momentum into their second and third preseason game and start Week 1?
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