49ers vs. Broncos: Why Dante Pettis is a player to watch in preseason Week 2

While Dante Pettis ended last season as the clear lead wideout for the San Francisco 49ers, his performance in training camp has raised questions. He needs a good performance against the Broncos to quell concerns about his viability as the Niners’ leading receiver.

Wide receiver Dante Pettis had a phenomenal end to his rookie season for the San Francisco 49ers.

After a legendary career at the University of Washington, Pettis was drafted by the 49ers in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He had a slow start to the season, and struggled with injuries.

But, he put it all together and had a stellar run during the final half of the Niners’ season.

Coming into the preseason, the hype train continued to build for Pettis. People assumed he would be the 49ers’ No. 1 receiver. However, throughout training camp, the hype train has begun to die down.

According to reports, his training camp has been lackluster at best. He’s dropped passes, and just shown a lack of hunger and drive. While he has all the talent in the world, people are beginning to question his competitive spirit. Additionally, rookie receivers Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd have been playing excellently, which puts more pressure on Pettis to fight to maintain his leading job.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has even said that Pettis will have to fight for a starting spot.

Perhaps the most concerning thing came during last week’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. Pettis played 17 snaps in the game. That’s really the problem. That may not seem concerning until you realize players like tight end George Kittle, quarterback Jimmy Garappolo and Marquise Goodwin did not play at all.

What’s the difference between these players and Pettis? Clearly coach Shanahan didn’t think he needed to see these guys on the field, but he felt the need to play Pettis. Generally, star players are limited in the preseason, especially in Week 1. So the fact Pettis was active for as long as he was in the game hints he lacks Shanahan’s full confidence.

Goodwin sitting is especially concerning, since he is also a wide receiver.

Before I continue, let me clarify what I am not saying. I am not saying Pettis is a bad player. I am not saying Pettis is in danger of getting cut. I am not saying Pettis cannot be the 49ers’ leading receiver.

In fact, I love Pettis. I loved watching him in college and thought he looked excellent for the Niners last season when he played. Personally, I believe he can (and will) be the 49ers’ best wide receiver this season, and that he will be a fixture of the offense for the foreseeable future.

What I am saying is, while Pettis started the offseason as the Niners’ clear No. 1, he now has something to prove. And that means he should be incredibly fun to watch on Monday night against the Denver Broncos. There’s nothing more fun than watching a player, with talent and something to prove, tear it up on the field.

And that’s what I expect to see from Pettis.

Since most of the concerns about Pettis are not talent based, here are some things I’d suggest to keep an eye out for. First of all, just watch Pettis run his routes and juke people. There’s a reason he’s the best punt returner in the history of the PAC-12. (And it’s not just that the PAC-12 is horrible at football right now). It’s because he can put opposing defenders on skates, and that’s always fun to watch.

But in terms of evaluating his viability as the Niners’ No. 1 receiver, look for how Pettis fights for 50-50 balls and how he runs out the end of his routes. If he’s lazy on those, that will be a sign of his supposed lack of drive.

Personally, I think Pettis proves all of his doubters wrong, and Monday night’s preseason game against the Broncos should be the perfect opportunity for him to do so. Regardless, he is certainly a player to watch on Monday night to see whether or not he can silence the doubters or if he will only fan the flames of speculation about his inability to be a true NFL WR1.