Washington Redskins: 15 best draft day steals of all-time

For all the Redskins’ issues when it comes to, well… being a stable franchise, you have to give them credit here: They know how to draft tight ends in the third round. It’s a pretty specific, almost irrelevant thing to be good at, but it has some perks, right?

Before they ultimately anointed Jordan Reed as the team’s X-factor at tight end by spending a third-round pick on him, it was Redskins star Chris Cooley who first held the title. Cooley was drafted in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft; a symbol of Joe Gibbs’ coming offensive overhaul.

Sean Taylor alone made the Redskins’ 2004 draft haul a success, but it was Cooley who only added fuel to the fire, and at a fiery pace. In his rookie season, he hauled in six touchdowns. Then in year two, he took another leap with his production, accruing 774 yards and seven touchdowns on 71 catches.

He made the Pro Bowl in both 2007 and 2008, amassing 149 receptions, 1,635 yards and nine touchdowns over that two-year span. For a third-round pick, Cooley yielded very solid returns.

Cooley would only provide one more quality season after that, as injuries would take their toll on the Utah State product. But by then, “Captain Chaos” had already made an impression. Jordan Reed is the team’s new star at tight end. But Cooley will always be the one who made Washington the place for tight ends to be.