Canadian receiver Chase Claypool has been selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 49th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
In his final season with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Claypool, the eighth Canadian ever to play for Notre Dame, was the go-to target in the passing game, hauling in 66 passes for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns in 13 games — including the team’s bowl appearance. Over his four years with the program, Claypool made 150 catches for 2,159 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging 43.2 yards per game.
The Abbotsford, B.C. native had put on a phenomenal performance at the NFL combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.42 seconds at six-foot-four and 238 pounds. He also recorded a 40.5-inch vertical leap, a 10-foot, six-inch broad jump, and 19 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
Chase Claypool at the 2020 NFL Combine
• Bigger than Cameron Wake
• Faster than Odell Beckham Jr.
• Stronger than Jared Allen
• Jumps higher than Julio Jones
• More explosive than Devin Hester@ChaseClaypool @NDFootball pic.twitter.com/4fLbNWInHv
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) February 28, 2020
Claypool is the No. 2 ranked prospect in the spring edition of the CFL Scouting Bureau rankings.
The newest member of the wide receiver room! @ChaseClaypool pic.twitter.com/6kF4xq15LH
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 25, 2020
He finished his college career seventh all-time in career catches at the school and also took home MVP honours at the Camping World Bowl after making seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown against Iowa State.
Claypool is one of the top prospects available in the 2020 CFL Draft, set to take place on Apr. 30.