Chicago Bears Draft: This second-round pick could possibly fill two needs
Will Chase Claypool be a wide receiver or tight end in the NFL? Here is the thing, it does not matter how Matt Nagy uses him, he would be a serious weapon for the Chicago Bears offense.
Is Chase Claypool a wide receiver or a tight end? It does not matter, but he would be a weapon for the Chicago Bears and Matt Nagy’s offense either way. I can’t stress that enough. Listed at 6’4 238 pounds at the combine, Claypool has a 40″ vert and ran a 4.42 40 yard dash. Before he sounds like a typical Ryan Pace athlete, let’s look at how is production has risen over the years. As a freshman, he played but did not start. He caught five passes for 81 yards that season.
What might be more important to know is he played special teams. He was very Cordarelle Patterson-like. He had 11 tackles, and seven of them were solos. He isn’t afraid to get down-field and blow someone up. He finished with 25 total tackles after his special team’s roles diminished, and his starting role increased.
His last two seasons, he caught over 50 passes each season. In his senior year, he topped 1,000 yards and averaged almost 16 yards per catch with 13 touchdowns. While Ian Book is a serviceable quarterback, he was never asked to take over games with running backs like Josh Adams, and Dexter Williams.
Ian Book also chipped in 112 carries for 546 yards rushing. Remember, in 2014, when Jimmy Graham was so good that he was fighting to get a contract as a pass-catcher? Graham lined up in the slot 67% in 2013. He made a living going over the middle of the field. He was going over 1200 yards and ten touchdowns.
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That is Chase Claypool. He is a seam stretcher who can outrun and out physical defensive backs and linebackers in the middle of the field. He is not afraid of contact. While he may not ever be able to block like a traditional tight end, he blocks with solid footwork and leverage much like another past Chicago Bears player — Brandon Marshall. Chase Claypool seems built to be a Matt Nagy mismatch in more than one way.