It may not be a priority for the Giants heading into this year's NFL Draft, but the wide receiver position could use some sort of upgrade if it makes sense for Big Blue.
In fact, one player in particular could force GM Dave Gettleman's hand at the end of the month to solidify his offensive weapons for QB Daniel Jones.
Notre Dame WR Chase Claypool has been rising in mock drafts, and he very well might be on the Giants' radar when draft day comes around. The 6-foot-4, 238-pounder lit up the NFL Combine with a 4.42 40-yard dash, 40.5 vertical leap and 19 reps on the bench press.
Sounds familiar, right? That's because TE Evan Engram ran the same 40-time and actually jumped 4.5 inches lower than Claypool in the vertical. Now you can understand why some teams wanted Claypool to think about converting to tight end. But this wide receiver would be the perfect complement to the Giants' current corps.
Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate and Darius Slayton make up the current top three of the Giants' receiver room. Gettleman brought back Corey Coleman after he tore his ACL last season, but no one knows how the former first-rounder will be. Cody Core returns, too, but he's considered a special teams weapon for Joe Judge.
Is Chase Claypool the next big thing ?
- The Field Level (@TheFieldLevel1) March 25, 2020
6'4 / 238 lbs
40 yard dash 4.42
Vertical Jump 40 pic.twitter.com/VHczAsnaQF
It's also worth nothing that Engram has had injury issues the past two seasons as well, so drafting a player that could literally be his twin isn't crazy talk.
Claypool had a huge leap in his senior season in South Bend, totaling a career-high in yards (1,037), receptions (66), and touchdowns (13). His size and speed is hard to match up with, especially in the red zone, and Notre Dame exploited that.
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Now imagine how much fun Jason Garrett could have with Claypool at his disposal. He could work as that red zone threat, giving Jones a big target to throw at while working the deep ball like Slayton but with more elevation on his side. Given Shepard and Tate are more possession-first receivers, Claypool's skill set would work alongside that perfectly.
You could also look at Claypool in the slot opposite Engram, as long as he stays healthy. One Engram is a matchup nightmare in itself. Two? That's unfair.
Again, it's not a necessity, so the Giants would obviously not take him with that No. 4 pick. But, given how deep this year's receivers are in the draft class, Claypool should fall to the second round. Cesar Ruiz, Michigan's stud center, could be the pick there for the Giants as well as S Xavier McKinney, who could work next to Jabrill Peppers next season.
But this dynamic receiver that has a very high ceiling with a pro-ready frame and route tree might be too hard to pass up.