When the San Francisco 49ers traded four draft picks to the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffrey, it set a new standard that could influence deals moving forward. Though Carolina GM Scott Fitterer didn't secure a first-round pick for their All-Pro back, which has long been the gold standard for a player of such caliber – think A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles – the prospects of surrendering the four future picks for one player is certainly an interesting addition to the trade discourse, especially for a running back on a very expensive contract.

So naturally, if the Pittsburgh Steelers decide to trade away their bluest chip asset, Chase Claypool, for future compensation down the line, which has been suggested by folks for some time now, they're going to use the McCaffrey deal as a baseline, right? Well, according to Bill Huber of Packer Central and Dov Kleiman, that very much appears to be the case, as executives believe that Claypool could garner “second-round picks – plural – a third, and a fifth” for his services.

Now granted, maybe the Steelers are never quite able to get that level of compensation and have to instead settle for less. Maybe Claypool will blow up in a major way down the stretch in 2022, and the front office will instead look to hand the supersized Notre Dame product a long-term extension of their own. Either way, after turning in two-straight 800-plus seasons to start out his NFL career, it's clear the market is going to be hot for Claypool over the next few years – the only real question is who and where such opportunities will come from for the current Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver.