SANTA CLARA — The 49ers have rarely asked a rookie offensive lineman to open the season as the starter, but Dominic Bonney could change that trend.
The 2024 third-round pick was in the spotlight after Bonnie suffered an injury during training camp. Bonnie is set to be the first rookie to start on the 49ers’ offensive line in a Week 1 game since 2018, when first-round pick Mike McGlinchey made his debut at right back.
In an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Bay Area, Bonnie shared how he was able to play a pivotal role as one of the team’s newest members.
“Probably the biggest thing was keeping up with the playbook,” Bonney told NBC Sports By Area. “The more confident you are in what you’re doing, the faster you’re going to play, so that’s the way it’s been so far.”
Bonnies’ center-mate John Feliciano recently underwent knee surgery that will keep the veteran guard out until midseason. Spencer Burford broke his hand during training camp and returned to individual drills this week. Aaron Banks broke his little finger but coach Kyle Shanahan is hopeful the left guard will be back by Week 1.
While injuries aren’t ideal, the situation has allowed Bonnie to get plenty of reps in practice and San Francisco’s preseason games. The versatile lineman was on the field for 45 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in the 49ers’ first preseason game and 58 percent the following week.
One reason Bonney was able to acclimate so quickly was the extra work he put in between rookie camp and training camp. During the offseason, the rookie watched every meeting offensive line coach Chris Forrester held in order to be on top of his game when he reported in July.
“I just wanted to get as much information about the offense as I could,” Bonney said. “When I came to rookie camp, I felt like I just wanted to move forward. I didn’t just want to learn everything. [I wanted to] “I tried to avoid simple mistakes that I could have avoided by watching the film earlier. That’s all I was trying to do, just get to work early.”
Bonnie’s diligence did not go unnoticed by Forster, who was told that immediately after being selected, the lineman requested all of the coach’s “teaching meetings” and fixations.
“He wanted to go to every single meeting,” Forster said. “By the time he got to rookie camp, which I think was two weeks after the draft, he had watched all of my installation meetings from Phase One and Phase Two and everything we had done up until that point.
“And he answers every question correctly. He’s a very smart kid. He doesn’t say a word. He’s very smart. He’s very strong. He doesn’t swing. He’s just a steady hand. But he works very hard and he’s very diligent. I don’t think I’ve ever dealt with an offensive lineman – I know I couldn’t sit through all these meetings – who just took it and absorbed it. It’s very good for him.”
Bonney has a slight advantage from his football experience at Kansas, which runs a similar offense. And while the 24-year-old noted that Shanahan’s playbook is the hardest he’s had to learn yet, there were familiar aspects of the system.
The young lineman’s work won’t stop anytime soon. Bonney understands the commitment the club made by selecting him as the 86th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“I personally feel like if I choose someone, they choose you for a reason, so I’m going to do my best,” Bonnie said. “They put their trust in me by choosing me, so I’m going to give them everything I have. I don’t want them to feel like they made a mistake.”
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