Round 3, Pick 76

Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame

Height: 6-4

Weight: 229

Class: Senior

D.O.B.: 7/7/98

Statistical Profile: Claypool started 33 games at wide receiver for the Fighting Irish, while also being one of the best special teamers in the country. He didn’t hit the 700-yard mark until this past season, where he exploded for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns on 66 catches.

Where He Wins: Claypool is a big-bodied receiver who stacked on muscle this past offseason and could draw questions from teams about a possible move to tight end if he doesn’t run well at the NFL Scouting Combine. If that happens this may end up being a bit high for him, but his skill set is one that Tampa Bay has looked for in receivers before, so it makes sense to highlight him here.

The thing that stands out the most about Claypool is how physical and competitive he is on every rep. He will throttle corners as a blocker if he can, and he will go up and get it despite contact in the air. Claypool’s catch radius and ability to reel in off-target or high throws is attractive, especially to a downfield passing attack like the Bucs, where perfect placement by quarterbacks is tougher to come by.

Claypool may not be a burner, but he won vertically a good bit in college, largely due to a physical approach against press. He’ll need to add more nuance to his releases in the NFL, but his length, strength and aggressive approach got cornerbacks off balance and allowed him to establish early position off the snap.

Improvements as a route runner and as a ball-carrier made Claypool a more dangerous threat last season, as well as a more versatile one after seeing some time in the slot. He can make an immediate impact with his special teams contributions as well, which will be a major discussion topic in war rooms by the middle rounds of the draft.

Where He May Struggle: There is an obvious lack of short area explosiveness and flexibility in Claypool’s game, limiting his separation ability against more agile cornerbacks. He has improved as a route runner from where he was a year ago, but he is still going to have limitations that will prevent him from being able to handle coverage from an opponent’s top corner.

He’s not an ideal target for manufactured touches, although if he gets them he will run like a madman for YAC (yards after catch). Claypool’s game has come along at Notre Dame, but it still lacks a good bit of nuance and he’s at his best when he can attack linearly and simply out-muscle defensive backs at the catch point.

Claypool’s 40 time will draw great interest at the Combine considering his size and the rumored speed he has always possessed. He isn’t a quick acceleration type of player, but sometimes long-striders with build-up speed surprise at the Combine. I still think he’s going to have a hard time gaining a ton of downfield separation in the NFL, which can be okay if he’s going to win 50-50 balls at a high rate.

Bucs Fit: Claypool is definitely a fit for what Tampa Bay likes to do offensively, and I think his physical profile suggests a player both Arians and Jason Licht would be interested in. The question is where his value ultimately falls, and some of that will be tied to his Combine performance.

Currently the Bucs have a major question mark at WR3, a very important position in Arians’ offense. Even if Breshad Perriman returns, his history of inconsistency and injuries should deter the Bucs from putting all their eggs in one basket. It is crucial for Licht to find more depth at wide receiver this offseason, and Claypool’s ability to occasionally play inside as a possession guy or outside could give the Bucs three pillars in the downfield passing game. Claypool’s special teams ability could also be a replacement for ace Ryan Smith, who could leave in free agency.