Dante Pettis' record at Washington proves he'll be more than a punt returner in the NFL - SB Nation

You may not have stayed up late to watch his games on the West Coast, but you've probably seen former Washington standout Dante Pettis before. He's the kind of player who carves out his own spot on SportsCenter.

Like when he split Oregon State right up the middle for an 89-yard punt return where no defender even laid a finger on him:

Or when he shucked off a tackle, reversed field, and then outran the rest of his punt coverage to pile even more dirt on poor Rutgers. Or his game-winning 58-yard sprint down the sideline to beat Utah in 2016. Or, you know what, just take a look at all the times he made opposing special teams coordinators look stupid:

In all, you can find an NCAA-record nine punt return touchdowns on Pettis' resume, and his blend of vision, speed, and lateral movement will make him a valued asset in the 2018 NFL Draft. But Pettis is more than just a game-changing special teams ace. With 22 non-return touchdowns the past two seasons, he was one of the most dangerous offensive weapons on a Husky team that won 22 games in that two-year stretch.

Now he has to prove it at the next level.

Pettis needs to succeed where others like him have struggled

Pettis' special teams craftsmanship evokes memories of another Dante: former Chiefs Pro-Bowler Dante Hall. Hall earned every syllable of the nickname "the human joystick" with the Chiefs, shattering punt and kick coverages with a physics-defying ability to change direction without losing momentum over a career that featured 13 touchdowns in a six-season span.

If Hall isn't a strong enough comparison, there's always Devin Hester, who had 20 return touchdowns in 11 years. Or, if you need a contemporary example, Cordarrelle Patterson, who has five return TDs in five seasons — though all on kickoffs.

While every member of that trio earned All-Pro honors for their special teams work, their contributions were capped by one limiting factor; there was no place for them on offense. All three were categorized as deep threat wideouts at some point in their careers, but none were able to turn opportunity into consistent production. Hester, with a 57-catch, 757-yard performance in 2009, came the closest.

That's the mold Pettis aims to break.

Pettis has a receiving resume his NFL comparisons can't match

Unlike Hester or Hall, Pettis has a proven record at wide receiver. And while Patterson was the most effective target of the three, he played just one year at the FBS level. Pettis' four years at Washington paint him as a more consistent wideout and bigger end zone threat than the former Tennessee receiver.

Dante Pettis vs. other special teams standouts, NCAA stats

Player	College	Years	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD
Player	College	Years	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD
Dante Pettis	Washington	2014-2017	163	2256	13.8	24
Cordarrelle Patterson	Tennessee	2012	46	778	16.9	5
Dante Hall	Texas A&M	1996-1999	22	260	11.8	0
Devin Hester	Miami (FL)	2003-2005	10	196	19.6	0

Though Pettis' career numbers may not jump off the page, his junior and senior year marks do. Over two years, he tallied 116 catches for 1,583 yards and an impressive 22 touchdowns. He was a frequent target for quarterback Jake Browning, more than doubling up his team's next closest wideout when it came to receptions in 2017 (63 to 26). The only Husky to find the end zone more than he did the last two seasons was tailback Myles Gaskin, a potential first-round pick for 2019.

They weren't just deep ball TDs or breakaway runs after a short catch, either. Pettis showed off some legit receiving chops — like when he hauled in a one-handed corner route to continue Washington's absolute domination of Oregon in 2016.

At 6'1 and 192 pounds, he has the size to work either along the sideline or in the slot. NFL teams could weaponize him as a deep threat or put his dangerous running to work as a yards-after-catch machine in the middle of the field. His crisp routes — an aspect of the game other special teams aces failed to master in their second lives as receivers — make him a reliable presence downfield.

While he may not be a WR1, his 822-yard, 15-touchdown 2016 while playing opposite 2017 first-rounder John Ross shows just how dangerous he can be with a top wideout occupying an opposing defense's top corner.

Pettis could follow in the footsteps of one NFL WR

There's another current NFL player who could light the path to Pettis' NFL success. Ted Ginn Jr.'s career at Ohio State ended with eight return touchdowns (six punts, two kicks) in three years. He also shined brightest as the No. 2 option alongside a receiver taken in the first round of the NFL Draft — in Ginn's case, Santonio Holmes (and later Anthony Gonzalez, though Ginn had more receptions that year).

While Ginn had better top-line speed than Pettis (and worse hands), his late-blossoming career could be the blueprint for teams working to best utilize the soon-to-be rookie. The former Buckeye was thrown into the fire as an unlikely top-10 pick. He still made a mark on special teams, scoring six return TDs in his first five years, but he struggled as a featured wide receiver as teams overextended his range of talents and forced him into situations that rarely allowed him to shine.

He didn't thrive as a receiver until his second stint in Carolina, where he joined an ensemble that took the pressure from his shoulders and allowed him to flourish as a deep threat alongside a risk-taking quarterback in Cam Newton.

A similar situation could help Pettis. History suggests a steep learning curve for specialists making the jump to the NFL. It took Ginn eight seasons to become the top wideout on a winning team, and he still succeeds best as a complementary piece. Pettis will have to work to shorten that timeline.

Pettis won't be first-round pick, but he's still a serious asset

That last part will also hurt his draft stock. Once Pettis became the Huskies' top option, teams found ways to hinder him. Physical corners could bump him off his routes, then stick with him down the field. It's no coincidence his biggest game of 2017 came against a 1-11 Oregon State. He works best alongside a true No. 1.

That will keep the electric Pettis from first-round consideration, especially after an ankle injury kept him from flashing his athletic gifts at the NFL Combine. The Washington grad has plenty to prove, even after repeatedly showcasing his wide receiver chops as an upperclassman. The learning curve for return specialists is a steep one in the NFL, and while there's no doubting his ability to add immediate value on special teams, Pettis' draft stock may suffer thanks to players who had nothing do to with his college career.

That would be a shame, because a properly utilized Dante Pettis is a highlight machine.

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