Dante Pettis, Washington: 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Washington’s Dante Pettis is an explosive wide receiver prospect who has produced plenty of big plays during his college career.

Dante Pettis is a quick-twitch wide receiver prospect who has a knack for stretching the field. He uses his explosive burst to outpace defenders and create separation. This is someone opposing defenses have to account for when lining up.

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Pettis isn’t just a deep threat as he also runs clean routes. He’s a balanced athlete who easily changes direction and creates space. This balance also makes it easy for him to stop on a dime and work his way back to the quarterback.

He has a natural feel for playing the wide receiver position. His instincts allow him to locate open zones in the defense while running his routes.

Pettis’ speed is very important to his draft value as there are some concerns with his game. He is on the smaller side with a thin frame. This means he isn’t someone who will high point the football or win in contested situations.

He also isn’t a natural pass catcher and has too many drops. Pettis tends to double catch the football which means it takes him longer to secure the catch. It’s possible that he has less than ideal hand size which would explain the problems.

Despite his smaller frame, Pettis is a willing blocker who hustles to get into position. He won’t drive defenders down field but does enough to spring some long runs.

Overall, Pettis is a big-play threat who needs to round out his game in order to be a more reliable target. NFL teams are willing to overlook a few drops if it means they get chunk plays on a regular basis.