This Chase Claypool kid might be alright.
Some were upset when the Steelers selected Claypool, a 6-foot-4, 238-pound wide receiver, with the 49th pick in the draft, passing on Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins, among others. But Claypool has made a quick impression on his teammates at the Steelers training camp at Heinz Field.
Monday, as the team opened up the padded portion of its training camp, Claypool made a leaping catch over cornerback Joe Haden on a pass from Ben Roethlisberger on the second play of the team's Seven Shots drill that left quite the impression of the receiver's athleticism.
"It was just back shoulder fade in the end zone from the 2. I was underneath of it, it was back shoulder, so I tried to play through the hands," Haden said. "He just kept it in his hands. He didn't let me knock it out."
Claypool looked like a basketball player going up and taking the ball away from a smaller man on a rebound. He was simply just too big, too strong and too athletic for Haden, a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback.
"It wasn't even just that play, he's had a couple of plays on me in this camp," Haden said. "I've lined up against him pretty often. He's a big, fast receiver. He's able to adjust to the ball in the air. He hasn't shown me anything too bad. He's been able to be a big body, a deep threat with soft hands and can jump up and get it. As long as he stays healthy, I think he's going to be a problem."
That's what the Steelers were hoping when they made Claypool the 11th wide receiver taken in this year's draft. Wide receiver was considered one of the deepest positions in the draft, but in Claypool, the Steelers saw a player capable of being a difference maker.
Not only did he have rare size for the position, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine. He coupled that with production at Notre Dame that saw him catch 66 passes for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns last year.
The Steelers didn't have a first-round pick in this year's draft, having sent that to the Dolphins as part of the trade to acquire safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, but in Claypool, they feel like they got a player with first-round talent.
"You can’t teach 6-4, 238, 4.41 time. It is just something that doesn’t fall off of a tree," said wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard. "You get the chance to harness that kind of talent and kind of shape it and mold it into something that could be really, really special. I think as an organization, we all chomped at the bit. And he can do so much for the football team and effect the football team in a positive manner, outside of playing receiver. We love that, we love his physicality, his playmaking ability and his speed."
That was certainly on display Monday.
Now, the question is whether 14 padded practices without an offseason on-field program can be enough to get Claypool ready to contribute to the offense in 2020. One of added bonuses of Claypool, however, is that he showed prowess as a special teams player at Notre Dame, making 25 special teams tackles in his career, including five last season when he also was the team's No. 1 receiver.
He's just a football player.
But can he make an impact in 2020?
"I think he can," Haden said. "He has impressed me for sure, just his size, speed, his ability to adjust to the ball in the air. And he really doesn't say too much. He just goes out there every day and works hard, asking questions of the offense, getting routes."
He'll constantly be compared to the other receivers taken in this year's draft, much the way 2019 third-round pick Diontae Johnson has been. Johnson was the 10th wide receiver selected in last year's draft and led all rookie receivers with 59 receptions while also topping the NFL in punt return average, earning All-Pro status as a return man.
But Claypool won't just be compared to other receivers. For many who wanted the Steelers to take a running back with their top pick, that group also will be looked at closely when Claypool is mentioned. And with the Ravens having selected Dobbins just a few picks after the Steelers made their pick, he'll be the player to whom Claypool is most often compared.
The Steelers, however, have a good track record of taking receivers outside of the first round and having them work out as players. Perhaps Claypool can be the next.
"He's been doing a good job. His work ethic shows that he wants to be great," Haden said. "He doesn't do too much talking. He just gets after it. As long as he learns the playbook, as long as he and Ben are in accord and he learns the checks and everything, I think he has all of the physical attributes to be a baller."
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