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We are on the cusp of the 2020 NFL Draft, and this will be an unusual year to say the least. Regardless of the manner of the draft, we are still expecting a handful of former Notre Dame Fighting Irish players to be drafted — and another handful to become UDFAs.
We’re going to take a quick look at both handfuls over the next whatever hours, as we get ready for the big weekend ahead.
Chase Claypool — WIDE RECEIVER
Claypool came all the way to Notre Dame from British Columbia as an athletic, but extremely raw prospect. His athleticism and showings in the recruiting camps saw him rise to be a 4-Star player — which was always based more on potential than what he was at the time. Chase became a special teams standout in his freshman year, but only caught 5 balls.
Claypool got better and better each year which culminated in a tremendous senior season. In 2019, Claypool finally “clicked” with the coaching staff and became a much more mature player. On the field he caught 66 passes or 1037 yards and 13 touchdowns — but some of those catches were phenomenal as well as game-changing.
How does he fit in the NFL?
At 6’4”, 238 pounds, and a blazing 40 yard dash time of 4.42; Claypool was put on a two man list with the great Megatron, Calvin Johnson. The size and speed combination makes Claypool a very enticing player in the draft in need of a large athletic receiver that can run fast (like duh).
Where will he go?
Like Miles Boykin did in 2019, Chase Claypool made himself a lot of money at the combine — as well as the game film to prove it on the field. He has been mentioned as a possible first round choice in a draft well stocked with receivers, and he brings even more value as a special teams player.
PROJECTION: 1st Round
Personal Opinion
We all saw how dynamic Claypool can be during his time at Notre Dame, and his physical traits are elite in every sense. I projected him to the 1st round because that’s the type of player he is, and he still has much he can improve on with proper coaching. Watching his improvement during his time at Notre Dame was nothing less than awesome.