The San Francisco 49ers have signed their entire 2018 rookie class. The team announced on Wednesday night that the last unsigned rookie, wide receiver Dante Pettis, signed his four-year rookie contract. He played college football at Washington and was selected in the second round with the No. 44 overall pick.
"You know, I'm fully confident that he'll be here," 49ers general manager John Lynch said of Pettis on Wednesday before news of his signing broke. "I really am. I fully anticipate him being here at the first meeting and would be surprised if he wasn't."
That first official team meeting was at 6:30 p.m. and Pettis was reportedly in attendance.
The 49ers announced on Monday that tackle Mike McGlinchey signed his $18.3 million rookie deal. That deal was first reported on Sunday by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
In four years with the Huskies, Pettis registered 163 receptions for 2,256 yards and 24 touchdowns. Since his junior year in 2016, he caught 116 passes for 1,583 yards with 22 touchdowns.
As a returner on special teams, Pettis returned an FBS-record nine punts for touchdowns over his collegiate career while averaging 14.2 yards per return. Four of the nine touchdowns came during his senior year. He had 1,274 return yards in 90 attempts during his time at Washington.
The 49ers have not returned a punt for a score in their last 111 games, which is the third-longest active streak in the NFL, per ESPN Stats.
The 49ers traded up with the Washington Redskins from the No. 59 overall selection to pick Pettis. In exchange for the No. 44 pick, San Francisco gave up picks No. 59 and 74 but also received pick No. 142, which the team used on Kansas State cornerback D.J. Reed.
Thanks to the 2011 CBA, all rookie contracts are now for a length of four years. Only first-round selections come with an option for a fifth year, which does not apply to Pettis. Having set numbers for each spot eliminates the need to negotiate salaries and only leaves items like bonus payment terms, roster bonus allocations, and other miscellaneous structural items.
The total value of Pettis' four-year contract is believed to be $6,400,562, or very close to that amount, according to Over the Cap. That includes a signing bonus of $2,734,952 and a 2018 salary cap figure of $1,163,738.
