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KC Chiefs: Chase Claypool would add big receiving threat to offense

By Chris Clark

SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - OCTOBER 05: Chase Claypool #83 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the football against the Bowling Green Falcons at Notre Dame Stadium on October 05, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - OCTOBER 05: Chase Claypool #83 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs with the football against the Bowling Green Falcons at Notre Dame Stadium on October 05, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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Draft week is finally here and KC Chiefs fans will get to see who will be wearing the red and gold. Kansas City returns all of its offensive weapons for this season, but that shouldn’t keep the team from adding more this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs are in a unique position with the draft this year. With 20 out of 22 Super Bowl starters returning, they could go a lot of different directions with their picks.

Adding pieces for beyond 2020 will be the key and one thing is for sure, they’re going to keep weapons for Patrick Mahomes stockpiled. Drafting one receiver, in particular, would be a great way to do that.

Heading into the 2020 season, Mahomes has an incredible arsenal to throw to; Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman, and Demarcus Robinson make up what is likely the best group of pass-catchers in the league.

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A few of those names could be gone in 2021, so adding another talented receiver this year would be beneficial. It would help a young player get acquainted with Andy Reid’s more complex offensive system, while not requiring that they become an immediate contributor.

That player could very well be Notre Dame’s, Chase Claypool.

Claypool is a physical specimen with 4.42 40-yard speed at 6’4″ tall and 238 pounds. That’s basically combining wide receiver speed with the physicality of a tight end. The Chiefs obviously have players who stretch the field, but lack a true end zone threat outside of Kelce. Claypool could be a guy that could help stretch the field and be that lethal scoring threat with a 40.5 inch vertical.

With this year’s draft looking to have an incredibly deep wide receiver class, it’s possible that Claypool could fall to a spot where it’d be worth it for Kansas City to pick him. With only one selection in each of the first five rounds, GM Brett Veach is really going to have to make the most of his limited picks.

Claypool could be worth taking even with such limited picks, but even more so if they can manage a trade to get more picks. If they can pick up an extra second-rounder or an early third, that might be the sweet spot to bring him in.

It does appear as though the Chiefs have an interest in the talented prospect. It has been reported that they had an informal interview with him at the NFL combine in February.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s their guy, but that they’ve at least had some initial thoughts in learning more about him. It’d be easy to imagine Coach Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy already thinking of ways to implement him into the offense.

Claypool would definitely bring another layer to an already very capable offense. Secondaries in the AFC West would have to be ready for speed and a bully who can push them around for years to come.

Since he’s projected to be a starter within the first couple of seasons, he’d be a great investment for beyond 2020. Come Friday or Saturday, it’d certainly be exciting to see Chase Claypool become the newest member of Chiefs Kingdom.

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