LAWRENCE — Kansas football saw Dominick Puni selected in the 2024 NFL draft on Friday in the third round with the 86th overall selection, making him the program's highest draft pick since 2008.

Puni, who spent the past couple of seasons as a starter for the Jayhawks as an offensive lineman, saw his draft stock rise throughout the pre-draft process. Whether he was seen as a tackle or interior prospect, he entered it with extensive experience at both — guard in 2022 and tackle in 2023. After transferring in from Division II-level Central Missouri, he showcased he could be reliable at the Division I level in a variety of roles and became an All-Big 12 Conference honoree.

"Congratulations (Puni)!" KU head coach Lance Leipold said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "We’re very proud of you and excited to watch you begin your NFL career with the 49ers!"

At the next level, Puni’s responsibility could very well be in the interior. But his positional versatility has outlined that he could be relied upon for more than just that. He’s also shown that he can remain healthy with varying responsibilities.

Puni helped Kansas make back-to-back bowl games in 2022 and 2023. The team’s resurgence had a lot to do with its ability to protect the quarterback, and he had a large part in making that happen. Now it’s time to see if he can translate that to the next level in the same way he made the jump up from Division II to Division I, which won't be an easy task.

"I just want to say thank you, first of all, to Kansas, everything you guys have done for me, the support, the staff the football team," Puni said in a video the KU football team posted on its X account. "Just finish it off by saying 49ers, can't wait to get there. (California), it's a beautiful spot. Let's go 49ers. Come on."

RELATED: Kansas football's Dominick Puni could be early-round selection in 2024 NFL draft

RELATED: Kansas football defensive lineman Austin Booker could be 3rd round pick in 2024 NFL draft

RELATED: Kansas football class of 2025 commitment tracker: Jayhawks continue to build for future

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: San Francisco 49ers pick Kansas football’s Dominick Puni in NFL draft