Detroit Lions: 2020 complete seven-round mock draft

Drafting Chase Claypool with the 67th overall pick, in the third round, is the benefit of having a deep receiving class.  It’s one of the more in-depth pass-catching classes in recent memory.  It’s a group anchored by CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, but there could be up to eight receivers taken in the first round.

This will allow a player like Claypool to be overlooked, a benefit for the Detroit Lions.  The Lions don’t appear to have an immediate need for a receiver having a fairly deep group rostered, but the team’s top three pass-catchers are entering the final year of their deal.  With the league’s reining touchdown champion (11) of a year ago, Kenny Golladay expected to land a lucrative contract extension others will be left expendable.

Marvin Jones is likely the odd man out.  Jones is a tremendous talent, a guy who is known to make plenty of acrobatic catches.  He has a gift to be able to adjust to a ball in the air, often winning 50/50 battles.  If the Detroit Lions decided to hold onto Jones and throw a rookie like Claypool into the mix, this would be a league-wide feared receiving trio during the 2020 regular season.  If the Lions feel they’d like to garner something in return for Jones rather than see him walk for nothing at the end of the season, Claypool may be the perfect replacement.

Claypool is a 6’4 235-pound intimidating force; he’s built like a bull and ran a 4.42 40-yard dash. Very impressive for a man of his size.  He’s a bit raw, having come from Canada before committing to Notre Dame.  He was a high school basketball star and played three-down Canadian football up until four years ago.

His size makes him nearly impossible to bump off of his route.  He has the physical tools to get to where he wants to go, and no one can stop him.  He’s built like a linebacker or tight end with receiver speed and ball skills.  His size makes for an impressive catch radius and a valuable red-zone asset.

Claypool reminds me of a lot of Marques Colston.  Colston, similar to Claypool, was considered an ‘in-betweener’ at 6’4 230-pounds.  He settled in as one of Drew Brees‘ top targets making 711 catches totaling 9759 yards and 72 touchdowns during his ten-year career.  Colston ran a 4.5 40-time.

Claypool hauled in 66 receptions totaling 1037 yards and 13 touchdowns last season with the Fighting Irish.