A prime opportunity has been presented to San Francisco 49ers rookie offensive lineman Dominick Puni.
That opportunity is establishing himself as the starting right guard. Incumbent starter Spencer Burford fractured his hand and could end up missing a few weeks. It also depends on if he gets surgery for it or not, so it's a fluid situation on how long he'll be out for.
Burford's injury opens up the chance for Puni to step in and take the starting job away. It's unfortunate for Burford, but this is what happens in football all the time. Burford isn't some entrenched starter. The 49ers drafted Puni for a reason and if he showcases impressive ability with the first-team, then the 49ers will be reluctant to pull him away.
“He's done a real good job," said Kyle Shanahan. "We haven't had pads on yet, which is always a challenge for guys, especially in protection. But he's stepped in there, got more reps and I've been excited about him.”
Shanahan isn't the only coach who likes what he sees out of Puni. Run game coordinator and offensive line coach Chris Foerster is enjoying what he sees out of the third-round rookie too.
“He's a strong, big body," said Foerster. "He just has a lot, he's no bigger than most of them, but he'll set the pocket real well. He plays with great anchor. He's extremely intelligent. He’s really a good player. He's a special guy and he's just not done the position for very long. And with our system, it's a little bit of a change for him. So there's going to be a learning curve, but he's got some real stuff to him."
Shanahan and Foerster are the two coaches that Puni needs in his corner. They already are viewing him relatively highly, so if he is able to look solid in the next few weeks, then it will be tough for the 49ers to have him give up the role.
