How USC Receiver Michael Pittman is Preparing For The Unique 2020 NFL Draft

In Monday's SI Daily Cover, Alex Prewitt looks at Michael Pittman Jr.'s draft preparations and background.

Like every other NFL draft prospect across the nation, former USC receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has had to adjust his preparation because of the coronavirus pandemic. He is still running routes and working out, but he's no longer catching real passes because of social distancing rules and safety measures.

In Monday's SI Daily Cover, Alex Prewitt wrote about Pittman Jr., the son of former Super Bowl Champion running back Michael Pittman and one of the better receiver prospects in this year's draft. Here is an excerpt from the story.

Other than idly tossing a football to himself in self-isolation at his Santa Ana, Calif., apartment—

up, down, up, down

—Michael Pittman Jr. hasn’t caught a single pass since the middle of March. Were this any other year, perhaps such news would raise eyebrows in NFL front offices, especially entering the upcoming draft, where the USC wideout is considered a mid-second-round candidate. Then again, this is a year like no other.

It’s not that Pittman, 22, is injured. He still trains daily at a public park, darting through cones and running routes under the socially distanced supervision of former NFL receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. That element of his predraft routine has continued largely uninterrupted, excepting one recent afternoon when the police paid a visit. But, whereas he was once hauling in spirals from the likes of Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and presumptive No. 1 pick Joe Burrow at these workouts, Pittman hasn’t even

seen

those quarterbacks in nearly a month; he’s relegated, instead, to tracking invisible passes into his palms to avoid the potential health risk of catching real ones.

“The last time I touched a football from another person?” says Pittman, sounding almost wistful at the notion. “It’s been a while. Definitely, definitely weird.”

The rest of Prewitt's story dives into Pittman's upbringing, his spearfishing hobby, and his pre-draft life. It also mentions how Pittman's family is one of many affected by this nasty virus; Michael's uncle Sherman Pittman recently passed away due to complications with COVID-19.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver posted 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns last year and could be an option for the Vikings in the second round.

For more on Pittman, check out the full story from SI here and watch the video at the top of this page.

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