In addition to Trent Williams's continued holdout, the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line was dealt another blow during the first week of training camp. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that starting right guard Spencer Burford has a broken right hand, which might require surgery. Shanahan didn't provide any further specifics on the injury, but he said Burford is expected to miss three weeks.
Those injuries could be costly for a 49ers team looking to return to the Super Bowl. What matters most for San Francisco is keeping Brock Purdy upright and opening lanes for Christian McCaffrey and this loaded 49ers team to dominate. But with a banged-up offensive line, that will be much harder for the 49ers to accomplish, especially if Burford requires surgery on his broken right hand.
To make matters worse, Burford's backup, Jon Feliciano, has been dealing with a knee issue. Burford started 29 games in his first two seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the fourth round out of Texas-San Antonio in 2022. He split time late last season with Feliciano and had a key blown assignment in overtime of the Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
With both players sidelined, rookie Dominick Puni will now take first-team reps in their absences. In a position battle that offensive line coach Chris Foerster has more or less called an open competition, Puni getting extra reps could help his case in winning the starting job.
Puni has worked with the first-string offensive line on Friday and Saturday, with Burford and Feliciano sidelined. But does the rookie lineman have what it takes to become San Francisco's full-time starter at right guard? Or will the bright lights overwhelm him?
Can Dominick Puni power his way to starting?
A third-round pick out of Kansas, Puni's natural position is offensive tackle. However, Puni was a left guard for the Jayhawks during his college career. He switched to left tackle in 2023, where he was most successful.
Puni never allowed a single sack in his two years at either position and only allowed 15 hurries. The 49ers flipping Puni from offensive tackle to an interior line spot could work. He already has experience playing multiple positions. More importantly, he appears comfortable handling NFL pressure, forced to block against San Francisco's defensive line. If he continues to showcase impressive ability with the first team, then the 49ers will be reluctant to bench him.
“He's done a real good job,” said Shanahan about Puni. “We haven't had pads on yet, which is always challenging for guys, especially in protection. But he's stepped in there, got more reps, and I've been excited about him.”
The rookie lineman has made a positive first impression by adapting to the NFL and a complex 49ers scheme. With the 49ers dealing with injuries all over their offensive line, Puni could earn the starting spot permanently. If he does, he'll protect Purdy all season when San Francisco opens its season against the New York Jets.
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