If I can take a break from Titans coverage for a moment, I’d like to weigh in real quick on a guy that ended up being my favorite pick in the entire draft this year. I’m talking about former Kansas Jayhawk Dominick Puni. Now, this is not to say that I think Puni was the best player in this year’s draft. I’m saying I liked the intersection of ‘value’ and ‘fit’ for Puni better than any other player in the draft. He was the only guy in this class that I thought offered true five position versatility along the offensive line, and he just so happened to land in a place that needs line help in multiple spots.
Now, I’m certainly not trying to victory lap on a player that hasn’t played a down of meaningful football yet. But, I’ve watched the Titans-49ers game three times now, and I gotta say…Puni popped to me. Going into the game, several of us we’re looking forward to the Puni vs. T’Vondre Sweat match-up, and I’d say it delivered.
Puni played 25 snaps and looked good for the 49ers at RG. Not sure why he won't be the starter there this season. pic.twitter.com/ooWEVI6RJd
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) August 11, 2024
Look at those feet! Wide and immovable! Firm! He gets those hands inside and throws Keondre Coburn, who is no slouch, down like it’s nothing! He showed good mirror instincts, athleticism to play in space, and an ability to flip his hips and move Sweat sideways to open up the run lane. I mean, this is some promising stuff right here. This is nuanced o-line play, and if Puni keeps it up, he just might find himself starting for this team.
In case you missed it, this was my initial eval of Puni from the 2024 Stacking The Inbox NFL Draft Guide:
There’s a lot about his game that is raw. In the game against a good Illinois defensive line, he took a few bad angles, inconsistently got his hands up and dictated the block, and he stopped moving his feet at times. They pulled him, but because he runs so high, he didn’t drop his shoulder into his block, and just sort of hit a wall when getting to the point of his block. Kansas wanted to run the ball in this game, so I didn’t see a lot of effective pass sets either. There is mad inconsistency in his game, and if he has a robust offensive line skill set, he didn’t exactly show at Kansas because of the offense they run. That said, you do see flashes of what makes him an enticing prospect for the NFL in this game. “Functional” is a good word for Puni – he has functional strength that works when his technique may slip a bit. Of course, that probably won’t translate to wins in the NFL the way it did against Illinois. He has quick feet when he keeps them moving, and while we didn’t see him in space a whole lot, he does appear to move well laterally. He plays with power and foot drive in the run game, is decisive, and looks to hit somebody when he gets the chance. His 6’5” 320-pound frame is long, but he typically plays with good balance. He played 12 games at left guard in 2022 before moving to left tackle in 2023. So, the best projection for Puni may be inside at guard in an offense that wants to line up and pound the ball. Or, hell, they got him some reps at center at the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine. I really liked his work at center in Mobile, where I felt like he was the only guy patient enough to wrangle in Gabe Hall’s twitch consistently. He was successful in tracking movement and bracing the middle of the pocket. He played with good recovery when he was knocked off balance, and showed good inside hands, clamping down on defenders and riding them away from the play. Puni is a lump of clay with tantalizing potential.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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