Chase Claypool Working, Developing with T.J. Houshmanzadeh

Steelers rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool was the team’s highest draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after the Steelers selected him with the 49th overall pick. While he and other rookies have missed rookie minicamp due to COVID-19, Claypool is still making sure to get work in during the offseason.

On social media, Claypool has been posting numerous videos of himself working out with former Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The former Bengals receiver was a long time nemesis of the Steelers, but Claypool certainly has appreciated Houshmandzadeh’s help during the downtime.

“I worked out with him in the pre-draft process all the way up until now, so I got a lot of work in with him. He kind of really – he was really excited for me, where I went because he thought it was a great fit for me, He thought I’d do really well just in the system,” Claypool said. 

Coming out of Notre Dame, one of the biggest criticisms of Claypool’s game was his route running and ability to win off the line of scrimmage with his releases. The innate ability to defeat press coverage and attack leverage with his consistency to create separation was not there. However, Claypool seems to have been hard at work to try and fix those issues.

“You know, we worked on a lot of things, but the two main things were top of the route and then releases that we did. We did a lot of technique stuff within those two categories. The work with him definitely paid off,” Claypool said of his work with Houshmandzadeh.”

It is clear that Claypool’s physical tools lend themselves to potentially be a downfield threat. In some ways, he already is a vertical threat with his physicality and contested-catch ability being his main selling points. It seems even to the Steelers staff that is part of the allure of having Claypool on the roster. Certainly, Claypool recognizes his physicality as an asset.

“I think I can do that (be physical) within my route running, in terms of just releasing downfield. I release pretty aggressively, going to attack the ball,” Claypool remarked when asked about how he showcases his physicality. 

With weaknesses to fix and limited offseason programs, Claypool could be limited. His on-field action on offense could be limited to redzone reps and a small route tree. If he can leverage his size and physicality with some new improvements from his training with Houshmandzadeh, Claypool can make a big impact even this early into his career.

The Steelers drafted Claypool with the intention of making him a boundary receiver. Steelers Now previously highlighted how Claypool could impact opposing defenses with his athleticism and size on the boundary.  Creating separation is paramount in the modern NFL. Should Claypool improve his ability to create separation, the Steelers offense will be that much more dangerous. The training with Houshmandzadeh should help Claypool’s growth to reach his high ceiling in the Steelers offense.