Austin Pettis 6'2.5" 209WR, Boise State
Biography/Honors:
2010: Holds school record for career receiving TDs (39) and receptions (229). 11 starts in 13 games at flanker. 71 receptions for 951 yards (13.4 ypc) and 10 TDs. Also threw two TD passes.
2009: Started all 13 games at flanker. 63 receptions for 855 yards (13.6 ypc) and a school-record 14 TDs.
2008: Two starts in 13 games played. 49 receptions for 567 yards (11.6 ypc) and 9 TDs.
2007: 7 starts in 13 games at flanker as true freshman. 46 receptions for 465 yards (10.1 ypc) and 6 TDs.
Good hands clearly run in the family; uncle is former major leaguer and Gold Glove outfielder Gary Pettis.
Academics: Majored in communications.
Rankings:
Pro Football Weekly: #76 player overall, #13 wide receiver, #6 available WR. Grade: 5.42, has a good chance to become a quality NFL player and contribute readily. Third- to fourth-round pick.
NFLDraftScout.com: #155 player overall, #16 wide receiver. Fifth-round grade.
Rick Gosselin (Dallas Morning News): Not in top 100, which listed at least 9 WRs.
DraftCountdown.com: #112 player overall, #15 wide receiver. "Mid-round" grade.
Injuries:
2009: Missed final game of season due to broken ankle and was limited in Boise State's bowl game.
NFL Combine Stats:
4.61 40-yard dash
35.0 vertical
10'0" broad jump
6.68 3-cone drill
3.88 20-yard shuttle (best by a WR)
14 bench press reps at 225 lbs
Wonderlic score (unconfirmed): 22
Shuttle time was the fastest at the Combine in recent years.
Positives
Reliable big possession receiver and red-zone weapon. Very good size. Big, strong hands, among the best in this year's class. Plays faster than his timed speed. Superb ball skills; has huge catching radius and catches balls outside his frame with ease. Attacks the ball. Tracks the ball well and will go all-out to make the catch. Has timing, great concentration and body control to consistently win in traffic. Shields the ball from defenders with his body. Deft route-runner who knows how to set up defenders and create separation. Good body control and balance. Good head-fake. Looked like one of the better route-runners at the Senior Bowl. Knows how to find the soft spots in zone coverage. Has strength to break tackles after the catch. Willing, long-armed blocker. Tough, confident, vocal leader.
Negatives
Slow timed speed. Slow acceleration. No second gear or burst in and out of his cuts. Not a threat to stretch the field. Gets caught from behind. Little suddenness or explosion. Can be jammed at the line and isn't strong or quick enough to beat it. Drifts in his routes. Just average after the catch and could be more physical as a blocker.
Compares to: Nolan Nawrocki of Pro Football Weekly casts Pettis in the same mold as Marques Colston of the Saints.
Fun Facts:
Austin's uncle, Gary, was a major-league centerfielder who won five Gold Gloves, with the Angels, Tigers and Rangers. And he's not the only of Austin's uncles to appear on a baseball card. In 1985, the picture on the front of Gary's card was actually that of his younger brother, Stacey, who Topps' photographer mistook for Gary.
RamView:
For a team that has struggled in the end zone FOREVER, what could be better than a deadly red-zone weapon like Austin Pettis? None of the Ram receivers have shown they can be that guy that Sam Bradford can just put one up for down close. It's frequently said the Rams need to add a TD a game. Pettis caught nearly a TD a game in college! He and Bradford should probably start practicing fade routes right now. A pretty good fit, and a pretty more-polished WR than a lot of the others left at the time. Thumbs up.
Sources: Pro Football Weekly, NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), ESPN, Wikipedia, Idaho Statesman, baseball-reference.com
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