How did 49ers’ Dominick Puni go from no-star recruit to blue-chip draft pick? (paywall)
“Fettuccini alfredo,” Puni said, “but then they had these breadsticks that were so good.”
Unlimited breadsticks?
“Yeah, endless,” Puni said, smiling. “That was the problem.”
Puni changed his diet early in his college career, eating primarily chicken, rice, broccoli and salads. And his practice matchups as a true freshman against all-conference pass rusher Ubong Udom forced him to change his unrefined pass-blocking technique. When asked about his pass-blocking proficiency, Puni shook his head while remembering how Udom dominated him.
“He would just beat me with speed every time,” Puni said, “and I just didn’t know what to do. The next spring, it was just, ‘I’m going to lock in on my pass set.’ Because I hate watching the quarterback get hit.”
Puni’s promising start with the 49ers was preceded by work he did before he arrived for rookie minicamp in May. Puni asked a member of the 49ers’ video team to email the installation meetings led during the spring by Foerster and his assistants, Joe Graves and Cameron Clemmons. Foerster, in his 31st NFL season, said he can’t recall another rookie making a similar request.
“Just having a baseline for the plays really helped,” said Puni, who watched about 10 hours of meetings. “You’re not just in there scrambling, writing everything down while he’s talking, and it made it easier to learn.”
Three months later, Puni, the former no-star recruit, is resembling a blue-chip draft pick. His promising start is a reflection of the work he did years ago to transform his body and the time he put in recently to train his mind.
“The more you learn the playbook, the faster you play,” Puni said. “And the more you realize, ‘Hey, I can play with these guys.’’’
49ers’ 53-man roster: Trent Taylor, Ronnie Bell and WR corps are thorny issue (paywall)
“Brown’s only in his second season, but he’s been one of the best and most consistent 49ers since the spring. He’ll anchor the position while Hufanga works his way back from last year’s ACL tear. It’s hard to see anyone supplanting smart, aggressive Mustapha on the 53-man squad. However, the team recently signed veteran Tracy Walker III, raising the question of whether they will keep five safeties as a hedge against Hufanga’s surgically repaired knee. Or perhaps Hufanga starts the season on the PUP list and misses the first four games.”
49ers Notes: Defense wins, George Kittle comes for our shoes
“The 49ers had to regroup this week. They were too beat up to head down to Irvine for joint practices with the Saints, but they still need to get legitimate work in. It’s been a lackluster preseason with injuries, hold-outs and hold-ins, and Wednesday felt like the start of things getting more serious.”
49ers camp takeaways: Rookie safety makes defensive play of the day
“The funniest moment of practice might have been Nick Bosa’s fumble recovery and subsequent “scoop and score.” Purdy and the first team were on the field attempting a reverse that went awry. The football ended up on the grass, and Bosa was the closest defender.
The star pass rusher scooped up the ball and ran directly past Shanahan and the many coaches and players standing near the coach in the backfield. Bosa kept running half speed until he reached what would have been the end zone and raised his hands up in the air signaling a touchdown.”
49ers release veteran linebacker to create roster spot for Williams
“The 49ers decided they did not need Turner because of a deep group of linebackers that includes Fred Warner, De’Vondre Campbell, Dee Winters, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Jalen Graham, Curtis Robinson and seventh-round draft pick Tatum Bethune.”
As the Brandon Aiyuk wait continues, the 49ers’ WR made his return to watching practice (paywall)
“Therein lies the good news for the 49ers: It’s Aug. 14, so they still have nearly a month before the opener rolls around. And ugly offensive play definitely has not been the norm this training camp. But any stretch of struggles — and that includes the first period of Wednesday’s session — is another reminder that two of the offense’s best players currently aren’t practicing.”
49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk, wearing red, watches practice. Is he about to get his green? (paywall)
“I don’t rule any competition out or set anything in stone,” Sorensen said. “We do have time left. But (Odum) has done an awesome job.”
Sorensen went on to praise safety Malik Mustapha, a rookie fourth-round pick who is a candidate to push Odum. Mustapha had two pad-rattling hits Saturday in a 17-13 preseason-opening loss at Tennessee. Mustapha stopped running back Hassan Haskins for no gain on a 4th-and-1 from the 49ers’ 2-yard line in the second quarter before dropping wideout Kearis Jackson on an 18-yard runback on the second-half kickoff.
(He) “cut it loose the entire game and played physical,” Sorensen said. “The stuff that we saw on tape in college — why we loved him – (he’s) really a violent player. He played smart, too, as far as being able to communicate, being in the right spots … It was really cool. Really, he had a good game.”
