Rob Petitti

[SDogo]

Prospect Profileshttp://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/sponsor...7381114373291?

Rob PetittiPosition: Offensive Tackle College: PittsburghHeight: 6-6Weight: 347Hometown: Rumson, N.J.


Analysis | Injury Report | Agility | High School | Personal

OVERVIEW



Petitti finished his final collegiate season owning the status as one of the country's elite offensive linemen. He is the first Pittsburgh offensive lineman to repeat as an All-Big East performer since Ruben Brown, now with the San Francisco 49ers, was a three-time selection from 1992-94. Petitti has started every game the last three years at left offensive tackle.

Petitti displays excellent flexibility and balance for a player of his immense size and has what Pittsburgh position coach Bill Bleil calls "a fast twitch," alluding to his lightning quickness off the ball.

A two-time first-team all-division, all-shore, all-county and All-New Jersey Group I pick, Petitti was a three-year starter as a two-way lineman at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High. He recorded 90 tackles over his last two seasons (43 as a senior and 47 as a junior) and was named Lombardi Award winner as the team's top offensive lineman. He led the team to the 1998 division championship and the state playoffs, earning SuperPrep All-Northeast Region and PrepStar All-East Region accolades. He was selected to play in the New Jersey vs. New York Governor's Bowl. He lettered three times in football and twice in basketball.

Petitti redshirted as a freshman at Pittsburgh, but has started every game (49) he has played in ever since for the Panthers. He was selected Pittsburgh's Most Valuable Offensive Lineman in his first active collegiate season and named to The Sporting News Freshman All-America Team. Petitti was a second-team All-Big East Conference choice in 2002 and elevated that status to first-team All-Big East honors as a junior in 2003. He was a second-team All-American by The Sporting News and unanimous first-team All-Big East selection by the conference coaches in his final season.

ANALYSIS



Positives: Has a large, thick frame with good overall muscle development, but could stand to lose some body fat … Has thick arms, broad chest and shoulders, softness around the midsection, good bubble and outstanding leg thickness … Easily retains plays … Strong at the point of attack and shows good feet working near the line … Does a good job of sealing off and turning his man when working the corner … Hard to bring down thanks to his wide base, and while he may not move as well in the open, he has enough speed to get to the corner to neutralize the edge rusher … Shows good balance and will punch with authority … Plays with some nastiness and will look to finish blocks … Displays good knee bend and shows awareness to help inside on stunts or twists … Generates good pop on contact with his strong hands … Has the ability to pull and keep his feet on the move, which could see him shift to guard … Despite his size, he shows good acceleration getting to the second level and adjusting to the linebacker's movement while keeping his feet … Has a very strong anchor with good kick-slide agility and the foot quickness to mirror in pass protection … Has the quickness to recover when beaten … Can explode into his blocks and knows how to use his size and strength to move defenders out … Very competitive and will play hurt.

Negatives: Has had a running battle controlling his weight, which causes him to get "dead legs" when having to move into the second level late in games … Solid, durable prospect, but is not the type that will excel in one area … Needs to improve his lower-body strength to be capable of working effectively on the move … Can generate a very strong hand punch, but tends to get a little too wide with his hands, which lets defenders get into his chest to rock him back … His lack of foot speed could see him shift to right tackle at the pro level, but his solid pulling ability also makes him a guard candidate … Will struggle at times against a good edge rush, but does flash some quickness to run his feet and wash the defender by the quarterback … Has the tools to be a solid blocker, but he needs to improve his foot quickness … When run blocking, he fails to show his power sometimes, getting overextended as he lunges to make the play … Waist bender with good tenacity as a pass protector, but when he exposes his chest, he can be neutralized and thrown to the side … Slow out of his stance at times and this causes him to fail to gain initial advantage.

INJURY REPORT



2004 -- Was limited during spring drills due to offseason shoulder surgery, but was fully recovered for fall training camp.

2005 -- Player did not participate in the agility tests at the combine due to a left big toe injury.

AGILITY



5.25 in the 40-yard dash … 400-pound bench press … 560-pound squat … 21 percent body fat … 34¾-inch arm length … 10-inch hands.

HIGH SCHOOL



Attended Rumson-Fairhaven (Rumson, N.J.) High School, playing football for coach Shane Fallon … Two-time first-team all-division, all-shore, all-county and All-New Jersey Group I pick … Three-year starter as a two-way lineman … Recorded 90 tackles over his last two seasons (43 as a senior and 47 as a junior) and was named Lombardi Award winner as the team's top offensive lineman … Led the team to the 1998 division championship and the state playoffs, earning SuperPrep All-Northeast Region and PrepStar All-East Region accolades … Selected to play in the New Jersey vs. New York Governor's Bowl … Lettered three times in football and twice in basketball.

PERSONAL

Administration of Justice major … Son of Judy and Bob Petitti … Father played football at Lafayette … Born Rob Christopher Petitti on May 21, 1982 … Resides in Rumson, N.J.

[InmanRoshi]

Strengths: Has very good overall size. Has good height and massive bulk. His wingspan is gigantic and he is very difficult to get around in pass protection. He has decent quickness in his pass pro set. Plays with leverage and body control. Uses his long arms to force a wide arc and does a very good job in terms of riding edge rushers wide and using his arms to maintain separation. He engulfs defenders when in position in the running game. He is extremely difficult to get around and he plays with good leverage as a run blocker. Also developed more of a mean streak as a senior and has become a stronger finisher.

Weaknesses: His lack of athleticism limits his potential. He could stand to take off some weight. The more space he's in the less effective he becomes. He is difficult to get around in pass pro, but if you can force him to get wide he doesn't have great lateral movement skills to mirror and slide. He will have some trouble against inside quickness or quick double moves. He also is below average as a space blocker in the running game. He is slow, lacks great COD skills, has trouble consistently getting into position on the second level, and does not show a consistent ability to hit the moving target. Seems to lack a mean streak and doesn't finish off his blocks with as much authority as he should.

Overall: Petitti redshirted in 2000 before taking over as a 12-game starter in 2001, when he held Syracuse DE Dwight Freeney (Colts) with no sacks for the first time in 15 games. Petitti as a fulltime starter at left tackle since his redshirt freshman season in 2001 and the only game out of 50 that he missed was against Temple as a senior in 2004. Petitti lacks the athleticism of the elite offensive tackle prospects in this class and he'll almost certainly be forced to move to right tackle in the NFL. He also lacks a certain degree of toughness, which helps to explain why he never reached his full potential at the collegiate level. However, he still has the size, tools, durability and experience to warrant consideration early on the second day of the 2005 draft.