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SANTA CLARA – Coach Kyle Shanahan proudly dissected Dante Pettis’ versatility as a wide receiver Thursday night, explaining how the 49ers’ second-round draft pick could line up anywhere with his big-play potential.
“In the meantime, he’s going to be a very good punt returner, too,” Shanahan said.
Very good, indeed. Pettis enters the NFL after returning a NCAA-record nine punts for touchdowns in his career at Washington.
A punt returner may not sound as glamorous as a wide receiver but it’s certainly a dynamic role that should bolster the 49ers’ special teams, a unit which helped inspired the last playoff runs in 2011-13.