Football is an extremely demanding sport full of a bunch of uncertainties, which could possibly leave holes on a roster if the right players aren't in the right place. Regardless of their NFL Draft positioning, making the transition from college to the pros takes a little bit of growing pains.
Some guys have that "It" factor, while others have to work twice as hard just to stay relevant.
The level of talent coming into the pros nowadays is astonishing. So much so, teams can now plug and play younger guys more often than not.
This can very well turn out to be the case for the San Francisco 49ers this season.
Their 2024 draft class wasn't necessarily a jaw-dropping list of names. However, there's enough potential to produce some day-one starters. A lot of factors can occur from now until opening day that'll determine their playing status, but if all the chips fall in the right place, don't be surprised to see a couple of young studs thrust into this championship lineup.
Here are three who could end up stealing a starting job for the Niners in 2024.
3 Niners rookies who could steal starting jobs in 2024
OL Dominick Puni
Studs like offensive lineman Dominick Puni, who delivered a pretty clean stat sheet in his pro debut, is probably the safest pick to start right away.
The third-round pick out of Kansas held his ground during the Niners' preseason loss versus the Tennessee Titans, getting the exhibition start in light of veterans, Jon Feliciano and Spencer Burford, both dealing with injuries.
Of course, it's way too early to be making a big deal after just one exhibition game. But, considering how shaky the offensive line has looked at times in 2023, it's no wonder why Puni is being tossed onto the proverbial hype train.
LB Tatum Bethune
Another impressive rookie looking to throw his name into the mix as well is linebacker Tatum Bethune.
Pretty solid numbers in his first live-action NFL game that saw him produce six-plus tackles, and he was virtually involved in a vast number of plays.
With veteran Dre Greenlaw set to miss some of the early part of the season because of the Achilles tear suffered in the Super Bowl last February, Bethune has a chance to climb the depth chart if he remains consistent enough, at least tossing his name into the ring of potential starters.
DB Malik Mustapha
One person looking to take full advantage of consistency is safety Malik Mustapha.
Prior to the Niners game against the Titans, Mustapha had begun accumulating a ton of praise, and after his first game, we now understand why. He was gifted with instinctual explosiveness, which allows him to play fast and very physical.
If he can string together a strong showing for the next couple of weeks, it'll make things a little more intriguing.
San Francisco already had question marks regarding the secondary, specifically at safety. Like Greenlaw, safety Talanoa Hufanga is making his way back from injury and could see his spot supplanted by Mustapha if he's unable to go by Week 1.
In any case, the 49ers have their fair share of good and bad problems but must continue to find ways of bridging the gap.
Once the dust settles on a couple of lingering issues and they can refocus on playing ball, then the real fun shall begin.
