The New York Giants have endured ample changes this offseason, starting with their coaching staff. Having hired Joe Judge to replace Pat Shurmur as head coach and Jason Garrett to feature as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Giants are bound to make significant adjustments.
Garrett was an interesting choice at OC, as he gave up play-calling years ago and has relied on his coaching abilities to withstand the expectations in Dallas. Having the benefit of focusing on one unit should help him tremendously in his return to coordinator duties.
Historically, Garrett has relied on several things — a big-bodied wide receiver (see Dez Byrant) to act as a red-zone target and multiple tight ends who can act as quality pass catchers.
The Giants currently have Darius Slayton, Golden Tate, and Sterling Shepard as their receivers, and none of them are considered “big body” targets. Slayton is the tallest at 6’1″, but he’s not a physcial receiver who can out-muscle corners.
This opens up the door for the Giants to potentially draft a bigger pass catcher in the draft, which is where Chase Claypool enters the picture.
Can the New York Giants land Chase Claypool in the NFL Draft?
Claypool was stellar for Notre Dame in 2019, logging 1037 yards and 13 scores. His staggering frame of 6-4, 238lbs allows him to control smaller corners and break tackles in the open field. Adding a player of his size and athleticism would be a significant addition to Big Blue and Garrett’s offense. They could also use him in a flex-TE role who can block well.
However, Claypool posted solid numbers in the NFL Combine, which could have dropped him out of range for the Giants. If Gettleman hadn’t traded away the 68th overall pick for Leonard Williams, Claypool could have been a possibility. Now, the Giants are sitting pretty at 99th overall, but they could elect to package picks and move up to grab an impact player like the Fighting Irish pass catcher.
The biggest knock on Claypool was his speed, but he posted a 4.42 40-yard dash, blowing expectation out of the water. Trading up for Claypool was made sense since his run blocking grades are some of the best in college football. Adding a receiver who can lock up the edge for Saquon Barkley, you routinely bounces outside, would be a significant advantage.
Overall, Claypool is a fantastic prospect that could drop into the laps of a waiting team. While the Giants don’t seem to have the capital to snag him, making a maneuver to increase the probability is possible.