What 49ers rookies’ snap counts vs. Patriots says about them

The 49ers had a surprising eight rookies contribute on the field in their 30-13 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi's Stadium. This is not a common occurrence for coach Kyle Shanahan's team, which has many veteran star players on its roster. There usually is an acclimation period before first-year players get the go-ahead to see actual game time, but the head coach shared on Monday that the 2024 rookie class has impressed, both on and off the field. "We kind of noticed that with them right in OTAs just as a group as a whole," Shanahan said via conference call. "They seemed like a very mature group. We didn't have to teach too many of them how to act like pros as we say. They came in, they knew how to walk-thru, they worked very hard." This maturity has led several rookies to see significant playing time early in the season, starting with offensive lineman Dominick Puni who won the starting right guard job from the first snap of the season. Injuries have played a part in giving the Kansas product an opportunity, but the fact that Puni was able to hold on to the starting role and play 100 percent of the team's offensive snaps since the start of the season is not a...