5 greatest-ever NFL Draft picks in Washington Commanders history

Gary Clark – Former Commanders WR

• Round 2, 1984 Supplemental Draft

The NFL holds supplemental drafts to allow teams to select players who are otherwise ineligible for the standard process. It rarely produces any great finds. But 1984 was different.

There was a special three-round supplemental draft designed to deal with the upstart USFL. This allowed each team to draft players that would have been available in the 1984 NFL Draft, but who had signed with another league (the USFL or the CFL) prior to draft day.

In the second round of that draft, the Washington Commanders took a 5-foot-9, 175-pound wide receiver from James Madison. He would become one of the most inspirational players in franchise history.

Gary Clark teamed with Art Monk to form a dynamic duo during the team’s greatest era. Even if they were as opposite as you could find.

The tall, laconic Monk and the pint-sized, trash-talking Clark. But they shared a physical and mental toughness, and they especially shared the ability to rise to the occasion when it most mattered.

Clark caught 549 passes for Washington, averaging almost 16 yards per catch. He scored 58 touchdowns in eight seasons. His spin move was lethal.

In the first four picks of that 1984 supplemental draft, future Pro Football Hall of Famers Steve Young, Gary Zimmerman, and Reggie White were selected. Clark, taken with the No. 55 overall selection, was arguably the next-best player picked.

Pretty good value for a supplemental pick. This sets us up for Part 2 of the greatest draft picks in franchise history – the best value picks.

We’ll take a look at the players picked a bit later in the draft who went on to far outperform their pedestrian draft position. Coming soon to a blog near you.