Dominick Puni once had a dream of facing Aaron Donald.
The San Francisco 49ers’ rookie right guard grew up in St. Charles, Mo., idolizing Donald, who started his career nearby with the St. Louis Rams.
In high school, Puni began as a defensive end, but his growing frame led him to switch to the offensive line during his junior year. With that change, his ambitions shifted too. Initially, he wanted to be like Donald, but later he aspired to block him. He wanted the challenge of going up against the world’s best defensive lineman.
During idle moments, he would ask a teammate on the offensive line, “If you had 100 chances, do you think you could block Donald at least once?”
“And my delusional friend thought he could!” Puni recalled with a grin.
Unfortunately for Puni, Donald retired a month before the 49ers drafted him in the third round in April, denying him the opportunity to face his idol. However, on Sunday, he’ll go up against the next best thing — Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive tackle, Chris Jones.
In fact, Jones has been a bigger nemesis for the 49ers than Donald ever was.
Jones was instrumental in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV victory in 2020, swatting down two critical Jimmy Garoppolo passes that derailed a late 49ers drive. In 2022, Jones had two sacks and a forced fumble in a decisive 44-23 Chiefs victory in Santa Clara. Most recently, in the 2023 Super Bowl rematch, Jones recorded six quarterback pressures, including one on a pivotal third-down play in overtime.
The 49ers received the ball to start overtime and seemed poised for victory after a 13-play drive. But on third-and-4 from the Chiefs’ 9-yard line, no one picked up Jones, forcing Brock Purdy to rush his throw and miss a wide-open Brandon Aiyuk in the end zone. The 49ers settled for a field goal, and the Chiefs responded with a game-winning touchdown.
Once again, Jones had disrupted San Francisco’s plans.
“He shows up in big moments,” Puni said of Jones. “That’s his X-factor.”
When asked why the 49ers have had more success containing Donald than Jones, the team offered different perspectives.
“They’re different players,” right tackle Colton McKivitz said. “Jones is bigger and one of the strongest guys I’ve ever faced.”
Center Jake Brendel noted that the Chiefs have a stronger supporting cast around Jones than the Rams had for Donald, making it harder to focus on just one player.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan pointed to the Chiefs’ scheme as a factor. “They make it harder to take Jones out of the game. He’s as good as anyone, and we try hard to neutralize him, but it’s difficult.”
The matchup between Jones and Puni appears lopsided. Jones is in his eighth NFL season with five Pro Bowls and 78.5 career sacks, while Puni has only started six games. But the 49ers’ right guard position is stronger now than it has been in years, thanks to Puni’s impressive performance. Despite being a rookie, he has missed only one snap, hasn’t allowed a sack, and has committed just one penalty.
Puni’s maturity has been evident since the 49ers drafted him. Before he even joined the team, he requested videos of every coaching session he had missed.
“He’s very smart, tough, and steady,” said offensive line coach Chris Foerster. “He doesn’t get rattled.”
Though right guard was new to Puni, injuries to Jon Feliciano and Spencer Burford forced him into the role during training camp. Initially, the coaching staff was unsure if a rookie could handle the pressure, but after two weeks of practice, they were confident.
“When he got in, he didn’t look overwhelmed, and we just kept waiting for it to happen,” Shanahan said. “But it never did.”
Puni’s calm demeanor is evident in his pregame ritual. He’s usually the first 49er to step onto the field, taking quiet walks around the stadium before finding a seat on the bench. It’s a habit he started in college as a way to clear his mind before games.
On Sunday, he’ll need that focus as he prepares to face Jones, one of the NFL’s most disruptive forces. As McKivitz warned him, “Get ready! Some weeks you’re going to face guys who can wreck games.”
(Top photo: Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images)
