NFL Draft 2020: Chase Claypool gives Steelers just what they needed

Chase Claypool has the size, receiver skills and untapped potential that the Pittsburgh Steelers needed in the 2020 NFL Draft.

When the draft kicked off on Thursday night, there was talk about just how deep the receiver class was and it was evident with six picks in the first round alone at the position.

Guys like Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Reagor, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk came off the board in round one, leaving some big names on the board in the second round and the Steelers took advantage of a falling star in Chase Claypool from Notre Dame at No. 49 overall.

This may not seem like that great of a pick considering the Steelers have JuJu Smith-Schuster and a rising star in James Washington at receiver. But the offense was just missing something last year and a potentially elite wide out prospect like Claypool could be it.

While he’s not going to be a superstar from day one, he’s going to get some early targets and prove his worth as a freak athlete.

As a 6-foot-4, 230-pound wide out, he ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the combine which blew everyone away and it looks like he might just be an underrated prospect at wide out. He was the forgotten receiver in a deep pool and the Steelers pounced on him.

Grade: B+

While I love this pick, I think the Steelers could have addressed other pressing needs. A receiver is definitely something that needed attention in Pittsburgh, but it probably wasn’t priority No. 1. With Smith-Schuster and the rise of Washington, Claypool is the cherry on top.