Dante Pettis came into the 2019 season with a lot of hope from the coaching staff that he could be that No. 1 wide receiver. The 49ers traded up to get him in 2018 after all and despite annoying injuries he showed promise. Outside of a touchdown to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers the only promise he’s shown is drops. Lots of drops. Drops that can sometimes get the whole team into trouble.
And that’s not me talking. That’s Kyle Shanahan wrapping up the game talking.
“The more he doesn’t take advantage of his opportunities,” Shanahan said, “the less opportunities he gets.”
Does that mean he’s on his way out? Not necessarily. Pettis has another seven games to get some consistency and show the 49ers that he’s the guy they thought he was. Remember, this was a factor in the 49ers not getting aggressive in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade.
“Dante has the ability,” Shanahan said, “but we’re waiting for him to pick it up and have the consistency and take advantage of some of these opportunities he’s gotten.”
Translation: Don’t wait for the team to dump him during the 2019 season.
After watching the Seattle Seahawks win at the last second over the San Francisco 49ers one thing popped into my head: What will the 49ers look for in the 2020 draft? If the numerous drops were any indication, wide receiver may be at the top of the list. The 49ers have invested hard into fixing the position, getting Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd in 2019 Richie James in 2018, and Trent Taylor in 2017. This includes Kendrick Bourne coming in as an undrafted free agent. Right now Taylor is on IR, and Hurd still hasn’t seen the field for his rookie season.
Maybe one more wide receiver is in the cards. If that happens, could Pettis be the first to go?