Former Notre Dame and current receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers Chase claypool has officially signed his rookie contract. The 6-4, 235 pound is officially part of the National Football League.
According to a source, Claypool signed a four-year contract worth $6,616,636 and his signing bonus is $2,372,100.
With 49 overall Chosen in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Steelers selected former pass receiver Fighting Irish. Claypool played four seasons in South Bend for the Fighting Irish. In his senior year, he played in 13 games and had 66 catches for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns.
His numbers on the Indianapolis combine were outstanding. He is the first receiver to run a sub-4.45 at 6 feet 4 inches, 235 pounds since Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. He has elite hand strength with great physique and thrust. He needs to keep working on his takeoff and getting on his routes faster to take advantage of his 4.42 time in the 1940s. But he’s trending upward at every step of his career.
Claypool arrived at Notre Dame as part of the 2016 class. He was a Top200 prospect that cycle and Canada’s No. 1 recruit. The Abbotsford, British Columbia native chose Fighting Irish over scholarship offers from Oregon, Michigan, the state of Mississippi, Tennessee, Nebraska, Washington and many others.
Claypool played in 12 games as a true freshman in 2016. He led the Irish in special team tackles with 11 and tackles with eight. He also had six sacks for 81 yards, which included a 33-yard sack against Michigan State. In the second year, he played in 12 more games, had 29 catches for 402 yards and two scores, including a 180-yard performance against Wake Forest. As a junior, Claypool played in 13 games and had 50 catches for 639 yards and four more touchdowns.
In his final season, Claypool received the game ball for his performance against the Navy and was named the Camping World Bowl Most Valuable Player after the victory against the State of Iowa. In that victory against the Cyclones, Claypool had seven catches for 146 yards and a marker.
In a deep receiver class, Claypool could have gone later than he would have in the past few years. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert knew this, and it was obvious when it was his turn to choose.
“We have been seeing Chase for two seasons because as a junior there was a chance that he might come out a year earlier and there was talk of that,” Colbert recently told the #PFTPM podcast. “He decided to stay. We had, I think, three reports on him as a young man. We had more reports this year. The same, had improved. We had good grades entering the Senior Bowl. When we got to the Senior Bowl and Coach Tomlin and I walked up to the practice field and saw his physics and blocking exercises, his physique and special equipment exercises, he really stood out.
“Plus, he’s a 230-pound 6’4” receiver who can go deep, and we honestly didn’t have that threat last year. We didn’t have that tall receiver that can simply beat coverage. We have always had that in the past with Nate Washington, Mike Wallaceor Martavis Bryant. Again, that was very attractive to us in the long run. In the short term, we know Chase will be a partner for special teams from the start. ”
Analysis of NFL.com
“Comparison with the former teammate Miles Boykin It’s easy since they are both elite size and explosive, but Claypool has a higher ceiling and is a little more prepared. Claypool doesn’t have a shake to get a lot of clearance underneath, but he’s a physicist inside the road and is adept at making contested catches when needed. It has size / strength / speed to torment cornerbacks in 50/50 deep balls. He’s a vertical challenger out there, a possession receiver like a big groove, an excellent run blocker, and an immediate cover ace on special teams. His elite traits and diverse skill set could allow him to create a unique footprint as a professional. “- Lance Zierlein
