Abbotsford’s Chase Claypool left his mark at the NFL Combine last week.
The 2016 Abbotsford Senior Secondary School grad, who recently wrapped up four years with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, seemed to have impressed many during his showings in the event’s running and jumping drills.
The combine, which ran from Feb. 23 to March 2 in Indianapolis, invites top-ranked draft-eligible football prospects to perform physical and mental tests in front of NFL coaches, general managers and scouts. Players must receive an invitation to participate, and about 330 players get one every year.
Prior to the event, Claypool was projected to be selected during the top four rounds of the draft, and after his showing many insiders claim he will move up the draft charts of many teams.
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He reported to the event weighing nine pounds more (238) than his playing weight at the recent Senior Bowl on Jan. 25. But the additional weight didn’t seem to slow him down.
Claypool ran a 4.42 40-yard dash on Thursday, a remarkable achievement considering his size. Only one other player at his height and weight has ever ran that fast in the history of the combine - Calvin “Megatron” Johnson.
Johnson was drafted second overall by the Detroit Lions in 2007 and went on to have an excellent nine-year career. He signed an eight-year, $132 million contract extension back in 2012, but then decided to retire in 2016 at the age of 30.
Many NFL followers and insiders, as well as Claypool himself, made the comparison online.
Claypool went on to finish fourth amongst all wide receivers in the vertical jump, leaping 40.5 inches. He also recorded a broad jump of 126 inches.
His size also led to chatter about Claypool possibly moving from wide receiver to tight end in the NFL, a possibility he appeared to not object to during conversations with media in attendance.
After his showing at the combine, many insiders stated that Claypool improved his stock for the 2020 NFL Draft. The draft occurs from April 23 to 25 in Las Vegas.
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eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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