San Francisco 49ers: Player stock watch after first week of 2018 training camp
By Peter Panacy
Wide Receiver Dante Pettis
Speaking of all that room to work, rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis has quickly become a player to watch during camp.
It didn’t start off that way, though, as Pettis’ first two days weren’t exactly thrilling. In general, he struggled with both his decisiveness and looked relatively sluggish on the field — not exactly the marks of the high-profile player the Niners were hoping for when they grabbed him at No. 44 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
When the pads came on for day three of practice, though, all that changed.
Pettis’ route-running abilities were exemplary. And 49ers.com’s Joe Fann had the following to say about the rookie:
"The rookie wide receiver is starting to string good practices together. He was smooth in and out of his breaks and made several catches both in 1-on-1s and full-team work. Pettis did have a drop late in practice over the middle of the field. It looked like he heard footsteps and took his eye off the ball. Pettis’ ability to make catches in traffic will be a point of emphasis for him."
And there’s this, from former KNBR 680 insider Kevin Jones, to consider:
Too early to make snap judgments, but Dante Pettis is flashing a skill set that could really benefit the 49ers in the red zone. Kyle Shanahan can scheme him up 1-on-1 on the outside, then Pettis can use his wiggle to create separation. Touchdown city
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) July 30, 2018
The 49ers ranked 27th in red-zone touchdown efficiency a year ago. If Pettis winds up developing into a nice red-zone threat for Kyle Shanahan, the Niners offense will be all the better because of it.