SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - OCTOBER 05: Chase Claypool #83 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the football against the Bowling Green Falcons at Notre Dame Stadium on October 05, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
The New York Giants have the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. After selecting left tackle Andrew Thomas, they can now begin to fill positions of necessity like free safety, center, and even take a chance on a wide receiver in the later rounds.
This receiver class is one of the deepest in recent memory, and Notre Dame standout Chase Claypool could still be on the board in the third round of the Giants are willing to trade up a few spots to grab him. At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Claypool ran a sub 4.45 40-yard dash in the combine. Only one other receiver has reached that feat, and his name is Calvin Johnson.
While I don’t believe Claypool is anywhere in the same realm as Johnson, he has incredible size and speed for a player with his frame. He can win jump balls and be a consistent red zone threat for a team like the Giants, who lack a big-bodied wide receiver.
New offensive coordinator Jason Garrett likes himself a target for the red zone, similar to Dez Bryant in the past. In addition, Claypool can be in elite special-teamer to start his career. He led Notre Dame in kick-off coverage and punt-coverage tackles during the 2017 season.
The Giants really like players who can serve multiple purposes, and Claypool can do many different things along with catch passes at a high-level. The Giants hold the 99th overall pick in the third round, and with four seventh-round picks, they could elect to trade up and grab Claypool if he drops a little further than anticipated.
Currently, he ranks as the 31st best player on the board, but there’s plenty of talent to go around, and he could easily fall a few slots.
This post was published on 2020-04-24 13:00
