The 2024 season was a major disappointment for the San Francisco 49ers. Plagued by injuries, the team stumbled to a 6-11 finish. However, the adversity provided opportunities for several rookies to gain valuable experience in their first NFL season.
One of the brightest young stars was rookie right guard Dominick Puni, who started all 17 games. Puni earned an impressive 80.5 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF), the highest among all rookie offensive linemen. His 81.5 run-blocking grade led all first-year linemen, while his 68.9 pass-blocking grade ranked third.
Over 656 pass-blocking snaps, Puni allowed three sacks and 35 pressures. His 1,078 total snaps ranked as the third-most among rookie offensive linemen, highlighting his durability throughout the season.
Puni's standout play did not go unnoticed. The Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) recognized his exceptional rookie campaign by naming him to their 2024 All-Rookie Team.
Below is the full breakdown of the PFWA's annual rookie awards and honorary roster:
PFWA 2024 Rookie Awards
- Rookie of the Year: QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
- Offensive Rookie of the Year: QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
- Defensive Rookie of the Year: LB Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
PFWA 2024 All-Rookie Team
Offense- QB – Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
- RB – Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
- WR – Malik Nabers, New York Giants; Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
- TE – Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
- C – Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
- G – Jackson Powers-Johnson, Las Vegas Raiders; Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers
- T – Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers; Roger Rosengarten, Baltimore Ravens
- DL – Jonah Elliss, Denver Broncos; Braden Fiske, Los Angeles Rams; Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts; T'Vondre Sweat, Tennessee Titans
- LB – Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers; Chop Robinson, Miami Dolphins; Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
- CB – Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles; Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
- S – Calen Bullock, Houston Texans; Evan Williams, Green Bay Packers
- PK – Cam Little, Jacksonville Jaguars
- P – Ryan Rehkow, Cincinnati Bengals
- KR – Jordan Whittington, Los Angeles Rams
- PR – Brandon Codrington, Buffalo Bills
- ST – Sione Vaki, Detroit Lions
