The San Francisco 49ers dubbed Dante Pettis as the No. 1 receiver on their unofficial Week 1 depth chart. RotoWorld said of the news:
“Coach Kyle Shanahan emptied his motivational playbook onto the second-year pro this summer, but Pettis' depth chart standing never changed. Closing draft season as a mid-range WR4, Pettis could end up one of the fantasy steals of the summer.”
Pettis has had an off-and-on training camp and missed some time with a hamstring injury. But, the second-year receiver is making moves to be the reliable No. 1 option. Chief among them is bulking up from a soaking wet weight of 180-pounds; which, doesn't cut it in the NFL, no matter the talent.
The former Washington Husky's rookie season was a mixed bag. While he showed off elite speed, he couldn't make those tough catches due to a lack of strength, and as some put it, mindset. He finished his first year with 27 receptions for 467 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games (seven starts).
Head coach Kyle Shanahan believes that Pettis can reach another level. However, that's not going to be easy; not only did he need to get stronger, but he also needed to have that mindset to be the next great 49ers receiver. Shanahan said on him, per Cam Inman of the Mercury News:
“There’s a whole other level that he can reach. He needs to do it with size, with mentality and just getting after it every day.”
Only time will tell if Pettis reaches that next level. But, as a starter with some added muscle, he has little excuses not to do so.
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