Round 2, 49th pick overall
Chase Claypool
School: Notre Dame
WR • 6-4 • 238 pounds
About the pick: Tall, big-bodied target from Western Canada who was viewed as a tight end by some teams. … Claypool steadily improved each season with the Irish, catching five passes as a freshman, 29 as a sophomore, 50 as a junior and finishing his career with 66 receptions for 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2019. ... Didn't follow the trend of sitting out his bowl game, netting seven grabs for 146 yards and a score vs. Iowa State in a 33-9 win in the Camping World Bowl. ... Loves special teams, excelled in punt coverage in college and said at the NFL combine he wants to play on all four main units as a pro. ... Speaking of the combine, that's where Claypool's stock took off, when he ran a 4.42 40-yard dash as the heaviest player at his position. ... Turns 22 in July. ... Grew up a Seahawks fan in British Columbia.
Round 3, 102nd pick overall
Alex Highsmith
School: Charlotte
OLB • 6-3 • 248 pounds
About the pick: Former walk-on whose production exploded as a fifth-year senior with 14 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble last year. ... Earned scholarship after freshman year, then made first-team All-Conference USA two seasons later. ... Third-team All-American in 2019 gives the Steelers an edge-rusher to develop behind Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt. ... Ran a 4.7 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, sixth fastest among edge-rushers. ... Played defensive end at Charlotte before converting to outside linebacker. ... Likely needs to add some bulk, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney called him "physical, fast, disruptive ... could play for anybody in the country.” ... Native of Wilmington, N.C.
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: April 25, 2020, 12:46 a.m.