Should the Vikings call about 49ers wide receiver Dante Pettis?
By Luke Parrish
Talent does not equal production
Dante Pettis was a second-round pick for a reason when he came out of Washington in 2018. His deep presence in the passing game, as well as his ability to create on punt returns, made him a fun prospect.
Pettis holds the NCAA record with nine career punt returns for touchdowns and averaged 14.2 yards per return. In his senior season, Pettis averaged a whopping 20.4 yards per punt return and took four back to the house.
His ability to make defenders miss in space should be enough to get him on the field more in the offense. Playing as a gimmicky guy who can take jet sweeps and underneath throws to see what he can create would open the offense. Mixing in some deep routes would keep defenses on their toes.
Unfortunately for Pettis, injuries and an unfriendly roster/scheme in San Francisco have limited his production at the next level. He did not return a punt in 2019 and barely saw the field as an offensive player.
Only himself and the team know why that is, but there is still reason to hope he can be a productive player in the NFL. At just 24 years old, Pettis is still young and has shown enough flashes in his limited playing time.
If he can stay healthy, Pettis can provide a spark in an NFL offense. With a need for depth and competition on special teams and at wide receiver, Pettis is the perfect player to keep an eye on for the Minnesota Vikings.