The San Francisco 49ers moved up in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft to select Washington Huskies wide receiver Dante Pettis. We break down Pettis’ fit in Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

When San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan traded up to draft wide receiver Dante Pettis in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, many analysts and fans were surprised by the Niners’ decision.

However, Pettis’ game film gives us a glimpse into why the 49ers brass were so high on the Washington Huskies product, and felt the need to trade up for a player many analysts thought would be available at San Francisco’s original second-round pick.

After a 15-touchdown junior year, Pettis didn’t have an overly productive senior season at Washington, partially due to the fact that the 2017 Huskies had a lackluster passing attack after the exit of speedster John Ross. However, as Washington’s No. 1 receiver his senior year, Pettis had a receiving market share consistent with the senior seasons of many of the NFL’s top receivers:

While Pettis doesn’t project as a true No. 1 receiver at the NFL level, he should be an excellent complimentary piece to the 49ers’ current receiving corps. Particularly if Pettis gains a bit of size and strength onto his 6-foot-1, 186-pound frame, he will likely make an immediate impact in 2018.

Even if Pettis doesn’t gain weight over the offseason, he’s the leading candidate to return punts for the 49ers, as his nine punt-return touchdowns are an NCAA record. However, during a recent interview, Pettis made it clear he views himself as a wide receiver first, and not merely a special-teams player.

While his punt-return touchdowns are surely fun to watch, let’s dig into Pettis’ game film as a wide receiver, and analyze how he fits into Shanahan’s offensive scheme.