SANTA CLARA >> Kyle Shanahan is so exasperated at the performance of his rookies in recent years that he junked a scheduled walkthrough before the New Orleans game so they could practice on their own.

Yes, the annual rookie show performed before veterans and the coaching staff has been that bad.

“We’re cancelling the walkthrough to allow them to practice and making the threat that if it’s not good enough they’ll do it Monday and Tuesday also,” Shanahan said Friday. “We’ll see how it works.”

In 2022, Brock Purdy, a third-string quarterback and the last player taken in the NFL Draft, was part of the rookie show disappointment. Purdy said rookies did impersonations of veterans — he was Jauan Jennings — and did it in the form of a spelling bee.

“The concept and idea was good, but the execution was not,” Purdy said. “We got booed off. Not a good memory for me.”

Neither Shanahan nor Purdy was being serious of course. And even if the 49ers’ eight-man draft class of 2024 plays to poor reviews in the rookie show, their play on the field suggests at the least there will be some impactful roles played by rookies and perhaps as early as Week 1.

More experience awaits Sunday when the 49ers host the New Orleans Saints (5 p.m.) at Levi’s Stadium in the second of three preseason games.

General manager John Lynch, perhaps relieved to be off the topic of the hold-in of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and the holdout of tackle Trent Williams, was in full rave mode during the first of his weekly appearances on 49ers’ flagship KNBR.

Dominick Puni, a third-round pick out of Kansas, has been the starter at right guard since the first practice with returnees Spencer Burford (hand) and Jon Feliciano (knee) sidelined with injuries.

“Puni has been an absolute stud,” Lynch said. “Plug and play.”

Lynch compared safety Malik Mustapha, a fourth-round pick, to Arizona safety Budda Baker after making a big goal line hit and a special teams hit in a 17-13 loss to Tennessee.

“He’s a knock-back player,” Lynch said.

Lynch also talked up cornerback Renardo Green, a second-round pick, and believes good things are in store for first-round selection Ricky Pearsall Jr. once he gets healthy.

A look at how the rookie draft class has fared through 17 practices:

WR Ricky Pearsall Jr., Florida (1/31)

Pearsall came to camp with a hamstring strain and has since reinjured a shoulder. He’s practiced six times beginning to end but Shanahan thinks Pearsall can still be a factor when the New York Jets come to town in Week 1.

“We’ll find out when he gets back and where he is,” Shanahan said. “We’ve got another week, then two weeks after. That’s enough time. He’s able to run and do all those things, but we want to protect him so he doesn’t have a setback.”

CB Renardo Green, Florida State (2/64)

Green, who has been working as both an outside corner and a slot corner, seems destined to be on the field a lot in the early going whether he’s starting or not. Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen was impressed with his debut against Tennessee.

“I saw a young kid that played a lot and played two spots in the same game,” Sorensen said. “It wasn’t perfect, but some of the stuff he did was really competitive.”

G Dominick Puni, Kansas (3/86)

At 6-foot-5, 313 pounds, Puni has more than held his own with the first team. He could end up starting or split time with a veteran as line coach Chris Foerster did with Burford and Feliciano.

“He’s been consistent throughout, the way he started camp and has continued to work every week,” Foerster said. “Everything we saw him do in practice, he did in a game.”

S Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest (4/124)

Mustapha (5-10, 206) has played some deep balls well in camp and against Tennessee finally got to test his reputation as a hitter in an NFL game. He passed with flying colors.