5 offensive linemen the Patriots could have drafted instead of Caedan Wallace

Dominick Puni 

Former high school volleyball player Dominick Puni ended up in San Francisco. The 49ers selected him with the 86th overall pick. The Missouri native was expected to go anywhere between the 48th and 83rd pick, so the 49ers got some great value with their third-round pick.

Puni is the same height as Wallace and just one pound lighter. Like Wallace, he didn’t show much at the combine. The 24-year-old did, however, clock a 4.40-second shuttle run that ranked in the 98th percentile!  

His mobility and aggression are evident on his highlight reel. The 2023 first-team Big 12 offensive lineman loves moving defenders out of the way, leaving a clear lane for the running back. He played left tackle for the Kansas Jayhawks last year, but he played 12 games at left guard in 2022, and most impressively, he didn’t allow a single sack during his two years in Kansas. 

One of the things that stood out to many evaluators was his aggression and “nastiness,” particularly when run blocking. That’s fine when he’s winning his matchup, but it could also be something opponents look to exploit when they have the upper hand.

The other concern over Puni revolved around the length of his arms. Some experts believe his arms aren’t long enough to maintain pass blocks, but he didn’t allow a single QB hit in 2023. Admittedly, both Jadon Daniels and Jason Bean (who he was blocking for in Kansas) are very mobile quarterbacks, but he received a 90.4 grade for his pass blocking from PFF.

If he secures a starting place on the 49ers line, he will be really fun to watch in 2024.