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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he wasn't overly impressed with anyone's performance during Sunday's 43-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
"I'll watch the film, but I don't think anyone on our team played that great," Shanahan told reporters after the game.
One player who may change the coach's mind once he reviews the film is rookie wide receiver Dante Pettis, who had a breakout game against Seattle. He hauled in five receptions on seven targets for 129 yards (25.8 average) with two touchdowns, all career highs. Pettis' touchdown catches were on 17- and 75-yard passes from quarterback Nick Mullens.
Sunday was Pettis' first 100-yard performance, first game with multiple scores, and the first time he has gotten into the end zone in back-to-back weeks.
"He got a number of plays," Shanahan said. "I think he got into the end zone twice, and it was two good routes on both of those. He did a good job when he had the opportunities."
Even if the loss, the 49ers' 10th of the season, left Shanahan unimpressed with Pettis' performance, one Hall of Fame receiver compared the rookie to a Niner great. Jerry Rice
joined 95.7 The Game on Monday morning and explained.
"Dante, he reminded me of someone," Rice said on the "Joe, Lo & Dibs" show, of course, referring to himself. "When you catch that ball, you're thinking six. You're not thinking about going down. You want to make that big play.
"I think he's really starting to develop, and he's showing that on the football field. He's having a good time, and he's being very productive."
Rice went on praising the 49ers' rookie receiver, who is finally getting healthy after dealing with a knee injury for much of the season.
"When you make a catch like that — and I did it over and over during practice, during training camp — it was all about finishing," Rice continued. "I saw some flashes yesterday, and he was able to get into the end zone twice. You can tell he's having a great time on that football field right now.
"I think when Kyle Shanahan, when he said some great things about him, it really built his confidence, and it's starting to show on the field."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rice below. The comments about Pettis are at the start of the interview.
We're just over 24 hours before round one of the NFL Draft begins. The San Francisco 49ers are scheduled to have their first pick in the opening round since 2021 when they drafted Trey Lance. That didn't turn out well, but there is optimism that the team will be able to make its roster better over the next few days.
GM John Lynch spoke on Monday and said there's a possibility the team could trade out of the first round. I doubt that would go over well with the fanbase, especially since they haven't had a first-rounder in the past two years. But if it's a good trade that lands the 49ers some quality picks, we could see that happen, especially if there aren't any players at pick 31 that the team is excited about.
We opened up the 49ers Webzone Mailbag to see what
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah unveiled his fourth and final mock draft, projecting the San Francisco 49ers to select Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy with the No. 31 overall pick.
While many anticipated the 49ers bolstering their offensive line in the first round, Jeremiah's choice may raise eyebrows. However, with seven offensive tackles already off the board, he opted to provide third-year quarterback Brock Purdy with another explosive target.
"This is my favorite fit in the first round," Jeremiah explained. "We saw what Tank Dell did in a similar offensive system with Houston, and we know what Mike McDaniel has been able to build with so much
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
