Dominick Puni scouting report: Exploring the Kansas interior offensive lineman’s strengths and weaknesses

In 2019, Dominick Puni did not receive any D1 attention. As a result, he spent the first four years of his college career at Central Missouri State, playing at both tackle positions.

During his two-year tenure with the Jayhawks, he was a starter in 20 out of 22 games on the blindside. In the latter season, he achieved first-team All-Big 12 after being an honorable mention in the previous season.

The individual’s measurements include a height of 6’5″and a weight of 315 pounds, with a classification of RS SR.

Analyzing Dominick Puni’s strengths and weaknesses

Skills and Abilities

Improve Run-blocking Skills

• Dominick Puni consistently demonstrates strong awareness of angles, particularly when it comes to cutting off defenders on the backside.
• Consistently able to execute the first strike that redirects edge defenders towards the sideline, signaling for the front side of the inside zone to be targeted.
• Speedy at bridging the divide between shade techniques on down-blocks/pin-downs off GT power and comparable concepts.
• Efficiently applies force to the arm-pit of D-linemen during angular blocks, causing them to establish an anchor after initially losing ground.
• His ability to quickly change direction and successfully execute reach- and hinge-blocks on the backside of run plays is particularly impressive, often utilizing a cross-over step to achieve his goal.
• He moves swiftly on his feet to execute throws towards the second level and to block linebackers inside on misdirection plays, as an example.
• This player is highly agile and well-suited for long pulls and navigating open spaces in the screen game, as they are able to effectively gather and engage with moving targets.
• Only received two penalties out of 745 snaps in 2023.

Offensive Line Protection

• This individual excels at protecting the passer, displaying both poise and assurance. He consistently maintains his balance and does not succumb to the tactics of opposing rushers.
• Demonstrates an understanding of effectively utilizing his height to prevent (edge) rushers from getting past him.
• He is able to effectively defend against wide-nine rushers by swiftly cutting off their angle, while also avoiding the risk of being easily defeated.
• Puni remains calm even as guys attempt to crash across his face, thanks to his impressive lateral mobility which allows him to shuffle along and ride them into the pile.
• The athlete displays remarkable agility in the lower body, allowing him to effectively counter rushers attempting to go around the edge and beat him to the outside.
• His lightning-quick eyes allow him to recognize any potential issues, such as a delayed rusher or a last-minute change in the situation. In these moments, he quickly adjusts and positions himself to fulfill his new responsibility.
• Despite his man chasing after the scrambling quarterback, Puni persistently puts in effort during pass-pro reps and manages to give his guy an extra shove, allowing him to keep extending.
• Over the last two seasons, there have been only eight pressures and no sacks allowed in a total of 783 pass-blocking snaps.

Challenges and Limitations

• Despite his strengths, Dominick Puni does not possess the ability to greatly impact the run game with his power.
• It is not often that you witness him taking away the jersey of defenders and dominating blocks, as there are usually players slipping off and joining in on the tackle against him.
• Even though he can be overly aggressive when faking the run, this can lead to more experienced defenders easily swatting away his hands. As a result, he may have to work harder to recover on what should be simple plays.
• He has a tendency to shift his weight too far over his outside foot, making him susceptible to edge rushers who can exploit the inside pec and quickly reach the quarterback. This could be a problem if he remains at tackle.
• His ideal position is at guard, but his low pad level may pose a problem in that role.

Dominick Puni’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Despite his potential as an offensive line prospect, Dominick Puni appears better suited for the position of a nimble tackle rather than a tough guard. Nevertheless, I still believe that many of his desirable abilities make him a valuable choice for the interior position.

His ability to quickly and effectively perform reach- and scoop-blocks makes him a valuable asset for any wide zone-based scheme. Additionally, he possesses the necessary agility and coordination to successfully engage in difficult pulling assignments at the second level.

When it comes to pass protection, his tall stature can sometimes limit his ability to anchor against power-rush attempts. However, in tighter spaces where opponents can’t build up momentum, his exceptional lateral movement skills truly shine.

Despite his lack of road-grading ability near the line of scrimmage and need to improve his weight distribution against wider fronts, Dominick Puni still possesses valuable four-position flexibility. He showed his strength at guard during Senior Bowl week and could be a solid option as a sixth lineman early on. Based on his performance and potential, I doubt he will be available past the top 100 picks.

Dominick Puni’s Grade: Was given a late third round grade.