© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
SANTA CLARA — The 49ers selected former Washington wide receiver Dante Pettis after trading up to the No. 44 overall spot in Friday’s 2018 NFL Draft. San Francisco traded the No. 59 and No. 74 picks to the Washington Redskins for the 44th pick, used on Pettis, and the 142nd selection.
Pettis provides another weapon for Jimmy Garoppolo as the 49ers continue efforts to surround their franchise quarterback with playmakers. John Lynch indicated Monday afternoon they were searching for dynamic game-changers.
Pettis qualifies. His nine punt return touchdowns are the most in NCAA history.
“There’s a lot of things I can do that can translate to the NFL,” Pettis said after he was drafted.
The scouting report on the 6-foot-1, 186-pounder is that he runs incredibly polished routes without breaking stride. He’s a fluid athlete who can impact games on offense and special teams. Pettis didn’t participate at the NFL combine to rest an injured ankle, but he said he runs a 4.37 40-yard dash, according to NFL.com.
Pettis spent the first three years of his Washington career lined up on the outside. His best receiving season with Washington came as a junior, when he produced 53 catches for 822 yards and 15 touchdowns. It also helped that future first-rounder John Ross lined up opposite Pettis. Last season, he was moved around the field more frequently, and he caught 63 passes for 761 yards and seven touchdowns, showing a bit of regression.
Pettis isn’t a big, physical red-zone threat. But he adds another speedy option for Kyle Shanahan to deploy alongside the current receiving crops of Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, Trent Taylor, Aldrick Robinson, and Kendrick Bourne.
“I’m hoping to do a lot of different things,” Pettis said.
