Dante Pettis Scouting Report

Written by Christian Lysek

Photo from Mike Siegel, Seattle Times

Washington WR Dante Pettis Scouting Report:

Making the jump from a WR2 to a WR1 in an offense is a tall order, but when the man you’re replacing is the fastest in football history and was the 9^th overall pick, good luck. Dante Pettis found himself replacing John Ross this past season. His name might not be as prevalent as Ross’ is, but Pettis is still worth a high selection in tis year’s draft. Here’s why:

Measurables: 6’1/2’’, 186 lbs, 32-1/4’’ arms, 9-1/2’’ hands

Year (Age): True Senior (22)

Career stats by year: 

Receiving				Rushing				Scrimmage
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Plays	Yds	Avg	TD
*2014	Washington	Pac-12	FR	WR	13	17	259	15.2	1	0	0		0	17	259	15.2	1
*2015	Washington	Pac-12	SO	WR	13	30	414	13.8	1	1	-8	-8.0	0	31	406	13.1	1
*2016	Washington	Pac-12	JR	WR	13	53	822	15.5	15	0	0		0	53	822	15.5	15
*2017	Washington	Pac-12	SR	WR	13	63	761	12.1	7	3	50	16.7	0	66	811	12.3	7
Career	Washington					163	2256	13.8	24	4	42	10.5	0	167	2298	13.8	24

	Punt Ret				Kick Ret
Year	School	Conf	Class	Pos	G	Ret	Yds	Avg	TD	Ret	Yds	Avg	TD
*2014	Washington	Pac-12	FR	WR	13	28	288	10.3	1	0	0		0
*2015	Washington	Pac-12	SO	WR	13	16	271	16.9	2	0	0		0
*2016	Washington	Pac-12	JR	WR	13	25	287	11.5	2	0	0		0
*2017	Washington	Pac-12	SR	WR	13	21	428	20.4	4	0	0		0
Career	Washington					90	1274	14.2	9	0	0		0

Drop Rate: 3.1%

Tape Evaluation:

Strengths: Dante Pettis makes playing receiver look effortless. He is probably the best route runner in this class along with Calvin Ridley. His routes are silky smooth and refined, allowing him to create maximum separation for defenders. His route running makes him an ideal candidate for the slot, but he can play on the outside too. Pettis has good vertical speed and ball tracking skills plus he has enough tough catch ability to grab back shoulder fades and other tough balls. Pettis has excellent technique when catching the ball. He secures catches away from his body and shows great concentration to grab poorly thrown passes. Pettis isn’t a bad blocker for his size, either. He displays great effort and works hard to take his defender out of the play, which he often succeeds in doing. Oh, and Pettis might also be the best punt returner in college football, returning an absurd 9 touchdowns throughout his college career.

Weaknesses: Pettis is skinny, and his lack of play strength shows up on film. Pettis can be bullied in press coverage, as he lets jabs throw him off his timing on the route. This lack of strength also shows up when catching 50-50 balls, as he gets box out by defenders, allowing the ball to fall into the ground or another defender’s arms. For how great of a punt returner he is, I expected Pettis to be an amazing YAC receiver, but he really isn’t. He is good enough to create big plays, but also inconsistent enough to get dropped by a defensive back.

Pro Comparison: Doug Baldwin

Doug Baldwin has been the Seahawk’s best receiver over the past several seasons thanks to his route running acumen and sticky hands. Baldwin is very fluid in his movements, and Dante Pettis has the same smoothness to his game. Pettis may never be quite as good as Baldwin, but I expect a productive career for him none the less.

 Teams that Fit: The Bills desperately need another wide receiver and Pettis would be a nice fit next to Kelvin Benjamin. The Titans could use another wide receiver on the team, and Pettis could give them the extra juice they need to enhance this offense. The Colts need someone to catch passes besides T.Y. Hilton, and Pettis would give them a well-rounded weapon who can win on the outside or in the slot.

Where he should go: 2^nd Round

Where he (probably) will go: 2^nd Round

Conclusion:

Dante Pettis is the best returner in this class, plus he is a great route runner with speed and reliable hands. His frame may be slight, but that shouldn’t stop him from being a high-quality WR2 in the pros.

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Combine Results courtesy of MockDraftable.com, Drop Percentage courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Career Statistics courtesy of sports-reference.com/cfb, Date of Birth courtesy of Scout Hub