31. San Francisco 49ers: Dominick Puni, G, Kansas 31 of 32 AP Photo/Scot Tucker Original Pick: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida The San Francisco 49ers have a difficult decision to make here. They can stick with Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, knowing that he'll miss part of his rookie season after being shot during an attempted robbery, or they can pivot to a player who started all 17 games as a rookie and played extremely well.
On one hand, Pearsall did have some bright moments once he got on the field, finishing with 400 receiving yards, 45 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The 49ers also know that they could use receiver help, as Brandon Aiyuk suffered a torn ACL in 2024 and Deebo Samuel was traded during the 2025 offseason. On the other hand, guard Dominick Puni—whom the Niners originally picked in the third round—looks like a future perennial Pro Bowler.
Puni played every single offensive snap for the 49ers in 2024, which was a noteworthy feat given the team's other injury woes. He finished the year ranked 11th overall among 136 guards by Pro Football Focus. It's a tricky choice because the 49ers also know that they'll hand quarterback Brock Purdy a five-year, $265 million extension in 2025.
One way or another, they need to ensure that their franchise signal-caller is surrounded by a strong offense.
