Niner Noise
FanSided

Breaking down 49ers wide receiver roles post Emmanuel Sanders trade

By Robert Morrison

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 01: Emmanuel Sanders #10 of the Denver Broncos carries the ball after making a reception against the Kansas City Chiefs at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on October 1, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 01: Emmanuel Sanders #10 of the Denver Broncos carries the ball after making a reception against the Kansas City Chiefs at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on October 1, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 7
Next
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 13: Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch in the endzone but is pushed out by Troy Hill #20 of the Los Angeles Rams in the third quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 13, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 13: Dante Pettis #18 of the San Francisco 49ers makes a catch in the endzone but is pushed out by Troy Hill #20 of the Los Angeles Rams in the third quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 13, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) /

Dante Pettis

The 49ers selected former University of Washington wideout Dante Pettis in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and while the former Huskie got off to a slow, injury-plagued start to his career, the last few games of his rookie season had the team thinking he could be their No. 1 option coming into 2019.

If 2018 was a slow start, then 2019 is Pettis barely moving. Through six games he has just nine catches for 83 yards and one touchdown, albeit the game winner in the Week 3 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It seems likely Pettis stands to lose the most from Sanders’ arrival, especially if the former can’t take advantage of the opportunities he does get. Looking at the snap count breakdown for both Pettis and Sanders, while both have moved around between the outside and the slot, they’ve each spent the majority of his snaps on the outside (248 of 354 for Sanders, 146 of 232 for Pettis).

And while Pettis has lined up more on the left side and Sanders on the right, there’s an argument to be made the two are the players that mirror each other the most, in terms of skill set.

Since Sanders has a proven track record, and Pettis is struggling to find his place, the likelihood that Pettis loses opportunities to the newest 49er feels the most likely of outcomes.