Forget the 2025 struggles, because Dominick Puni is apparently a "Pro Bowler in the making" for the San Francisco 49ers. If NFL.com's Bucky Brooks is right, the entire NFC West needs to get ready for Puni to explode in 2026. Brooks included Puni on his "offensive all-breakout team," picking just one player per position he thinks will see a massive rise in stock, and Puni was the *only* 49er to make the cut. That's a huge vote of confidence after a year that felt like a step backward for the young guard.
Injury Woes and the Blown Block Mystery
It felt like Dominick Puni already broke out in his rookie year back in 2024. But then 2025 hit, and things regressed. What happened? The finger points directly at a PCL injury in August, which, let's be real, was just the first month of the season. Think about it, the guy had 21 blown blocks in just the first seven weeks! That's rough. What's wild is that after Week 8, Puni only had one game all season with more than three blown blocks. You gotta wonder if that PCL injury was way worse than anyone let on, because that kind of drop-off and then immediate improvement points directly to playing through something serious. It's the only way to explain such a wild swing in performance from a guy who showed so much promise.The "Mauler" Ready for a Monster Year
Despite the 2025 hiccup, Brooks sees the real deal in Puni. This guy was a third-round pick in 2024 and has already started 36 consecutive games, postseason included! He's a core piece of an offense that absolutely leans on his punishing skills at the point of attack. Brooks calls him a "mauler" who specializes in just moving defenders right off the ball. You need that kind of force to power a dynamic running game, and Puni is essential to what San Francisco wants to do. Sure, he's still gotta tighten up his pass protection, that "heavy-handed shadow boxer" needs to keep improving there, but the potential is through the roof. Puni's final year on his contract is 2027, so he's got two more years to prove he's worth a huge extension. You see guys like the Jets' Joe Tippmann mentioned for the kind of deal Puni could get, and his actual numbers are being compared to the Cowboys' Tyler Smith. The 49ers have a running gag about their offensive line: either it's got issues (outside of Trent Williams, obviously) or the good players they *do* develop end up playing their way right out of San Francisco's price range, like Aaron Banks and Mike McGlinchey did. Can Puni buck that trend? 2026 is his chance to show the 49ers,and the whole league,exactly why he's a "Pro Bowler in the making."This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.