Notre Dame football: Breaking down Chase Claypool’s combine

No player has generated more buzz at the NFL Combine than Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool has so far this year, we examine what it means for him.

Notre Dame star wide receiver Chase Claypool was a popular selection amongst draft experts to catapult himself up the draft board with a solid performance at this year’s NFL Combine. Prior to the start of the NFL Combine, most draft experts expected Claypool to be drafted between the third and fifth rounds of the draft.

However, that stance has changed significantly in a matter of a couple of days. Claypool was initially helped by reports that he could potentially make a move from a wide receiver at Notre Dame to a tight end in the NFL. That notion gained momentum when Claypool arrived at the combine with an additional ten pounds of muscle mass than he had the previous month at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

With the news of his new bulked up frame circulating around the combine, experts began speculating what his 40-yard dash time would mean in regard to which position he would ultimately be selected to play.

Many suggested that if he ran a mid 4.5 second time or slower, he would be destined for the tight end position. Others believed if his time was faster than mid 4.5 seconds, he would be too fast to pass up as a wide receiver.

All eyes were on the wide receiver who had wowed experts at his measurements when his official height was reported at over 6’4″ and his weight was 238-pounds. The former Irish superstar did not disappoint when it was his time to shine in the 40-yard dash, turning in an official time of 4.42.

With the elite time that Claypool posted, he became only the second wide receiver to measure at least 6’4″ and 235-pounds to run a sub-4.45 time at the NFL Combine since 2003. If you’re curious as to who the other guy was, it happens to be future Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson. That’s pretty good company for Claypool to be in.

The elite speed and measurements may have been enough for Claypool to rocket up the draft board, but much like his career at Notre Dame, the star wideout came up big when it counted most, performing well at the other events at the combine as well.

With a vertical leap of 40.5″, Claypool had the fourth-best jump of any of the 46 wide receivers to participate in the event. He had a respectable 19 reps on the bench press, which was good enough for fifth-best amongst wide receivers. Additionally, his broad jump of 126″ was sixth-best of all competing wide receivers.

Claypool also wowed many NFL teams with his excellent interview skills, coming off as confident, poised and intelligent by all accounts. Anyone who follows Claypool on social media or has watched him for Notre Dame is not surprised by this, as he has historically exhibited traits of a high character player who is a consummate leader and professional.

With his strong performance, there is a good chance that Claypool positioned himself to be selected in the first or second round of April’s NFL Draft. In what is a draft that is extremely loaded with top-end wide receiver talent, that is an impressive feat for the former Notre Dame standout.