The 49ers haven’t returned a punt for a touchdown over their past 111 games.
They hope Dante Pettis can break that streak in 2018.
Pettis, a return specialist and wide receiver from the University of Washington, was the first San Francisco pick Friday on Day 2 of the NFL Draft, with the 12th Round 2 selection.
The son of former major league Gold Glove outfielder Gary Pettis, Dante Pettis was an electric performer for the Huskies, returning an FBS-record nine punts for touchdowns during his career.
The 6-foot-1, 186-pounder also had 163 catches for 2,256 yards and 24 touchdowns, playing both outside and slot receiver positions. His 1,274 career punt return yards are a Pac-12 Conference record.
Though the 49ers went into the draft with most analysts believing they’d focus on defense first, they used their top two choices on offense, with their No. 1, on Thursday in the first round, on Notre Dame tackle Mike McGlinchey.
The Niners did turn to defense with their other two picks on Day 2, taking BYU linebacker Fred Warner with the sixth choice of the third round and then following with Tarvarius Moore, a safety from Southern Mississippi.
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Warner, a 6-foot-3, 236-pounder, can play both inside and outside linebacker. This past season he led BYU with 87 tackles, including nine for loss, and had an interception. The NFL.com scouting report says one big plus for Warner is his pass-coverage ability, and that he “moves around like a big safety.”
Moore is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds and led his team in tackles from the safety spot, with 87, in his final year, while also logging three interceptions.
It’s possible that both Warner and Moore could see significant playing time as rookies, while Pettis could be an explosive and versatile addition to the offense and special teams.
