This upstart rookie faces massive test in Week 1 when 49ers host Jets

Dominick Puni secured the 49ers' starting right guard job, but his mettle will be tested to the max on Monday Night Football against the visiting Jets.

For much of training camp and the preseason, San Francisco 49ers rookie offensive lineman Dominick Puni managed to perform at a level that suggested general manager John Lynch and Co. found a stud in Round 3 of the NFL Draft the previous April.

At the conclusion of the preseason, Lynch went as far to confirm Puni would be the Niners' starting right guard, taking over from third-year pro Spencer Burford and alleviating the injury loss of veteran Jon Feliciano, who remains out with a knee issue.

Impressing during camp and in exhibition games is one thing.

Doing so against a top-ranked defensive line in prime time is another.

San Francisco hosts the visiting New York Jets on Monday Night Football to kick off both teams' 2024 campaigns. While much of the game's focus will be at quarterback, between the 49ers' Brock Purdy and Gang Green's Aaron Rodgers, the battle of the trenches should be equally as enticing.

The Niners still boast one of the NFL's elite defensive lines, yes. But Pro Football Focus ranked San Francisco's unit No. 2 in the league entering 2024.

The No. 1 group? New York's D-line.

The Jets' interior presence is a direct threat to Puni, who'll find himself frequently matching up against a former 49ers defensive tackle, Javon Hargrave, but also squaring off against one of the best interior linemen in the game today, Quinnen Williams, the two-time Pro Bowler who's enjoyed 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons.

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Needless to say, the battle between Williams and Puni will be one to watch, and it could very well dictate the outcome of the game, particularly in pass protection with the hope of keeping Purdy upright.

Fortunately for the rookie, he's had the Niners' own elite-level D-line to practice against, frequently lining up opposite defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins, who hopefully provided the best possible test environment for the first-year upstart.

San Francisco and New York square off on Monday, Sept. 9 from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

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