Notre Dame football: Pittsburgh Steelers draft Chase Claypool

Former Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 49th overall pick.

The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to steal draft former Notre Dame star receiver Chase Claypool in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 49th overall selection. The fact that Claypool lasted until the second round of the draft is less of an indictment of his abilities and more of a testament to how deep the 2020 NFL Draft was with elite wide receiver talent.

In most drafts, Claypool would have been a surefire first-round pick. Given his elite size (6’4″ and 238-pounds) and athleticism (4.42-second 40-yard dash, 126.0″ broad jump, and 40.5″ vertical leap).

Given his combine performance and the results that he had during his time at South Bend (66 receptions, 1,037 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns in 2019), it is still a bit difficult to believe that he wasn’t selected in the first round.

Despite not being selected as high as he probably should have been, Claypool finds himself in an enviable position with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he finds himself in a pass-heavy offense opposite of a budding superstar wide receiver in JuJu Smith-Schuster.

As a result, Claypool will likely get a lot of single coverage looks in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense from day one and represents a player who could put up prolific numbers in his rookie year in the National Football League. If he does, it will undoubtedly lend credence to all of the Notre Dame football fans that have been proclaiming Claypool as a top wide receiver prospect in this draft.

By adding Chase Claypool to a young offensive group that includes Smith-Schuster, James Conner, and Eric Ebron, the Steelers have provided veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with some excellent young weapons to work with towards a final Super Bowl push during the twilight of his career.