Chase Claypool’s potential move to tight end just gained steam
By Andrew Wade
Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool is a big-bodied wide receiver who is looking more and more like a tight end in the 2020 NFL Draft after combine measurements.
Wide receiver Chase Claypool has had talent evaluators wondering what position does he play for months. Is the Notre Dame product a big-bodied wide receiver or a smaller tight end who can operate from the slot and create matchup problems in the 2020 NFL Draft? Well, after measuring in at the NFL Scouting Combine, it’s looking a bit more apparent he could be making a position switch.
Prior to the combine, Claypool had the opportunity to seemingly put these questions to rest at the 2020 Senior Bowl. He was invited as a wide receiver, worked out as a wide receiver, and measured in as a slightly bigger wide receiver at 6’4” and 229 pounds. His performance did nothing to dispel this notion as he did a fantastic job of creating separation and had no issues operating against this year’s cornerback crop.
Fast forward a month to Indianapolis and Claypool gained 9 pounds to weigh in at 238 pounds. That puts him on par with a good chunk of today’s NFL tight ends.
NFL Draft Scout Matt Miller had this to say about what he is hearing on Claypool after his combine measurements:
Scouts were already talking about a potential move to tight end for Notre Dame wide receiver Chase Claypool but after weighing in at 238 pounds that talk is heating up. One scout told me he’s a potential matchup nightmare for defenses. He’s a round 3 player on my board.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) February 24, 2020
Considering Claypool is not expected to light up the stopwatch with his 40-yard dash time or blow people away with an impressive 3-cone drill, we could hear even stronger talks post-combine that Claypool will be a tight end at the next level.
If that is the case, he would be quite an intriguing pickup for teams in the 2020 NFL Draft. His route-running is smooth, his hands are good, and his blocking capabilities at the collegiate level were impressive, albeit against smaller corners.
While some more traditional teams may not know how to handle a player of Claypool’s caliber, his possible move to tight end could be a major asset for an offensively creative team.