Michael Pittman: 2020 Dynasty Rookie Profile
Position: WR
School: USC
Class: Senior
Date of Birth: October 4, 1997
Height: 6-4 Weight: 223lbs
Athletic Testing
40-Time: 4.52
Speed Score: 111.2 (93rd-percentile)
Burst Score: 122.6 (58th-percentile)
Agility Score: 11.10 (66th-percentile)
Catch Radius: 10.25 (89th-percentile)
SPARQ-x: 112.1 (73rd-percentile)
Bio
Does his name sound familiar? If so, it’s because is father, Michael Pittman Sr., played running back for the Cardinals, Buccaneers, and Broncos over an 11 year (1998-2008) NFL career. Pittman Jr. was a dominant receiver at Oaks Christian High School in California. He earned several honors at the high school level, including USA Today All-California Offensive Player of the Year, after posting an incredible senior season that was capped by a 16-catch, 354-yard, five touchdown performance in his final game.
As a freshman at USC, Pittman played in all 13 games as a reserve, accumulating six receptions for 82 yards with four kickoff returns and several special teams tackles. Pittman battled an ankle sprain early in his sophomore season but still earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors for his accomplishments on special teams. He also started six games on offense, totaling 404 yards and two touchdowns on 23 receptions.
See Where Michael Pittman Lands In Our 2020 Dynasty Rookie Rankings
Pittman’s ascension up the depth chart continued in 2018 when he caught 41-of-77 targets for 758 yards (18.5 YPR) and six touchdowns. He was named honorable mention all-conference in what was technically his breakout season while recording a 29.35-percent dominator rating. Pittman underwent shoulder surgery after the season for an injury that forced him to miss two games.
In what felt like more of a true breakout campaign, Pittman was among the nation’s leaders with 101 receptions for 1,275 yards (12.6 YPR) and 11 touchdowns in 13 starts. He finished the year with a 31.43-percent share of his team’s passing touchdowns and was named a Biletnikoff Award finalist, second-team Associated Press All-American, and first-team All-Pac-12.
Pittman was quietly one of the biggest winners at the NFL Combine. After weighing in at 6-4, 223lbs, Pittman ran a 4.52 40-yard-dash, translating to a 111.2 (93rd-percentile) Speed Score. He performed well in the agility (66th-percentile Agility Score) and explosion (58th-percentile Burst Score) as well.
College Stats
Michael Pittman Jr. College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference.com
Positives
+Size (6-4, 223lbs)
+10.25 (89th-percentile) Catch Radius
+Hands: dropped just five passes on 176 catchable targets (2.8% drop rate)
+2.32 yards per route
+44.4-percent contested catch rate
+111.2 (93rd-percentile) Speed Score
+122.6 (58th-percentile) Burst Score
+11.10 (66th-percentile) Agility Score
+112.1 (73rd-percentile) SPARQ-x
+32.8-percent (60th-percentile) Dominator
+15.6 (63rd-percentile) YPR
+7.8 receptions per game in 2019
+Pittman is aggressive at the catch point and with the ball in his hands
+Punt return TD
+Ball skills
+Immediate plug-and-play WR at the next level
Michael Pittman was quietly one of the biggest winners at the NFL Combine 📈 pic.twitter.com/Bikury2sf7
— Alex Johnson (@a_johnsonFF) March 2, 2020
Negatives
-20.9 (39th-percentile) Breakout Age (Junior)
-Just one rush attempt in four seasons
-Production and meaningful playing time came late in his career
-Sometimes struggles to create separation
-Only 20 broken tackles on 171 catches in his career.
-4.8 YAC per rec
-Played in high-volume passing offense that inflated his numbers
Highlight Reel
Best Comparable Player (PlayerProfiler): Dwayne Bowe
NFL Draft Projection: Day Two
Bottom Line:
The appeal of a guy like Michael Pittman in dynasty rookie drafts is that he is in position to be an immediate plug-and-play WR2/WR3 on an NFL depth chart. He has the full route tree in his arsenal and can play both X-receiver or as a big slot. He is a quarterback-friendly, big-bodied possession receiver with solid contested catch ability. There are some big red flags in his production profile, though. His late breakout and lack of a meaningful role in the USC offense until his junior and senior seasons is concerning. With that said, there is enough to like about Pittman to consider him a top-10 WR in this class and a solid second-round selection in dynasty rookie drafts this spring.
Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, NFL.com, PFF
