49ers Film Room: Rookie second-round wide receiver Dante Pettis

49ers film room: Breaking down WR Dante Pettis’ offensive fit

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 30: Wide receiver John Ross #1 of the Washington Huskies is congratulated by wide receiver Dante Pettis #8 after scoring a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal in the second quarter on September 30, 2016 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

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CORVALLIS, OR – SEPTEMBER 30: Wide receiver Dante Pettis #8 of the Washington Huskies catches a touchdown pass in front of cornerback Isaiah Dunn #22 of the Oregon State Beavers during the third quarter of the game at Reser Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

Staying Alive on Broken Plays

When plays broke down for the Huskies, forcing quarterback Jake Browning to scramble outside of the pocket, he often looked for Pettis to bail him out. Like a seasoned veteran, Pettis always stayed alive, and consistently found holes in the defensive coverage while he worked his way back to his scrambling quarterback.

It is these types of traits that help form trust between a quarterback and receiver, and it was evident that Browning trusted Pettis when he was in trouble. Garoppolo was quick to develop trust in his receivers last season — particularly in Goodwin and Taylor, and even in Louis Murphy, who he hit on a throw into triple coverage in Garoppolo’s first start in San Francisco.

Pettis’ propensity for staying alive and not giving up on broken plays will give him a leg up in quickly earning the trust of his new quarterback: