 Rob
Petitti
Position: Offensive Tackle
College: Pittsburgh
Height: 6-6
Weight: 347
Hometown: Rumson, N.J.
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.
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