San Francisco 49ers' non-Ricky Pearsall draft selections to watch during their rookie minicamp
The San Francisco 49ers' rookie class will get the chance to make a strong first impression on the practice field this week as rookie minicamp starts on Friday. Over the course of two days of practice, San Francisco's eight-man draft class, along with the 49ers' crop of undrafted free agents, will get the opportunity to […]
The San Francisco 49ers' rookie class will get the chance to make a strong first impression on the practice field this week as rookie minicamp starts on Friday.
Over the course of two days of practice, San Francisco's eight-man draft class, along with the 49ers' crop of undrafted free agents, will get the opportunity to prove their initial ability to digest the playbook about put it into practice on the field, while there will also be several tryout players hoping to force their way onto the roster.
We've already looked at some of the UDFAs who could steal the show. Now let's turn our attention to the draft class.
Of course, first-round pick Ricky Pearsall will command the majority of the attention as he looks to quickly prove himself worthy of a premium pick.
But there are several other players in the class who could be instant impact players whose initial progress at minicamp is worth closely monitoring.
OL Dominick Puni
The 49ers drafted Puni in large part because of their belief he could play five positions at the next level. He finished his career at Kansas with successive seasons without allowing a snap, playing left guard in 2022 and left tackle in 2023.
He will move to guard initially for the 49ers, and rookie minicamp will offer the first indication as to whether he could challenge veteran Jon Feliciano for the right guard spot.
For his part, Puni is confident he will have no problem making the switch back to the interior.
"When I played guard, I felt really comfortable. It was the first year I played it and I did pretty well. The transition wasn’t too crazy for me, and the 49ers, they got a hell of a O-Line,” Puni said on 'Up and Adams' on Wednesday.
"Moving me to guard, I have no problem with, even playing center I have no problem with. Wherever I can help the team is where I’ll play."
There's a shared confidence between player and team that Puni can step up and excel at any spot in the trenches. As a third-round pick, he enters rookie minicamp with high expectations.
S Malik Mustapha
It is widely believed the 49ers got excellent value in selecting Mustapha in the fourth round out of Wake Forest. Described as the best tackling safety in the draft, Mustapha projects as an instant impact player for a special teams unit that has struggled in recent times.
Yet, with linebacker Dre Greenlaw recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered in the Super Bowl, Mustapha's versatility in having operated at linebacker depth in Wake Forest's 'panther' package could help offset the impact of Greenlaw potentially starting the season on PUP.
The 49ers did not use six defensive backs at any point last season, but three-safety looks that get Mustapha on the field at the same time as Ji'Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga as a de-facto extra linebacker could well be a consideration if Greenlaw is not ready for Week 1.
Hufanga saw the field in 2021 in such packages when he was not a starter, and Mustapha getting the same opportunity will hinge on him quickly living up to his tag as a day-three draft steal. His quest to do so with impressive performances on the practice field starts this week.
WR Jacob Cowing
While Pearsall will be the main attraction as the 49ers' first pick in the opening round since 2021, fourth-rounder Cowing is also worthy of great intrigue.
With 4.3 speed, Cowing has the potential to be the Niners' first true deep threat since Marquise Goodwin left the team after the 2019 season. Having modeled his game after Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks, Cowing brings significant route-running prowess to go with his speed and consistently thrived in college through the ability to fluidly change direction at full speed.
His game drew a lot of plaudits from Scot McCloughan, the former 49ers GM, in a post-draft interview with The Athletic.
"He'll tear up rookie minicamp, seven-on-seven, all that stuff," McCloughan said of Cowing. "You'll be like, ‘Wow!’ you wait and see. He’ll blow your mind. He’s fast and quick. He’s like a little bolt of lightning — gone!"
That is extremely high praise to live up to for Cowing, who beyond his upside as a receiver could also have an immediate impact in the return game. If he hits the ground running, hype around the extra dimension Cowing could give the 49er passing game and San Francisco's special teams will rapidly grow.
Brandon Aiyuk’s projected contract would put 49ers in a tough spot with Brock Purdy negotiation on the horizon
They’d ideally like to pay him less.
