Claypool says "things are getting easier" for him in the NFL, Teresa Varley of steelers.com reports.
Claypool opened his rookie season on the bench before scoring four touchdowns in his first NFL start Week 5 against Philadelphia. He had just one more 100-yard game the rest of the year, but he finished with nine receiving TDs and two rushing TDs, later adding two more scores in the playoff loss to Cleveland. The 23-year-old enters his second pro season listed as a starter on the Pittsburgh depth chart, alongside fellow wide receivers Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Each of the three is a viable candidate to lead the team in targets, with Claypool standing to benefit most if Ben Roethlisberger rediscovers his deep ball. Either way, the young wideout is confident he'll improve his route running and releases, making him a factor on short and intermediate routes in addition to the more valuable downfield and red-zone work.