Who are the greatest-ever NFL Draft picks made by the Washington Commanders throughout an illustrious franchise history?
With the 2023 NFL Draft fast approaching, I wanted to write a little piece about the greatest draft picks in Washington Commanders’ (and whatever other names the franchise has gone by) history. I immediately hit a wall.
How do you define a great draft pick? Is it the best player? Is it the player that had the most lasting impact on the franchise? Is the best value – the player that overperformed where he was selected by the widest margin.
Since I couldn’t answer that question, I decided to write two pieces. This one selects the five greatest draft picks in Commanders’ history, based on how impactful the player was for Washington. The second one will consider value – the greatest selections based on how much the player overperformed his draft position.
You’ll get five picks for each, plus a dozen honorable mentions. And one special recognition. There will be no overlap, though some of the value picks would easily be honorable mentions on the first list.
Honorable Mentions:
- Jonathan Allen (2017)
- Champ Bailey (1999 – HOF)
- Bill Brundige (1970)
- Chris Cooley (2004)
- Ryan Kerrigan (2011)
- Paul Krause (1964 – HOF)
- Jon Jansen (1999)
- Mark May (1981)
- Terry McLaurin (2019)
- Chris Samuels (2000)
- Sean Taylor (2004)
- Trent Williams (2010)
Here then, are the five greatest draft picks in Commanders’ history (value not considered).
Sammy Baugh – Former Commanders QB
- Round 1, 1937 NFL Draft
The first NFL Draft was in 1936 and the now Washington Commanders got a good player in Riley Smith. The following year, they got arguably the greatest player in franchise history.
Sammy Baugh was excellent right from the start, helping the team win its first championship during his rookie season – also the team’s inaugural year in Washington. He was a good defensive back, the best punter of his generation, and an outstanding single-wing halfback.
A few years later, after the Chicago Bears popularized the T and Split-T formations, Baugh transitioned to a full-time quarterback and became the game’s first dominant passer. He played 16 seasons in Washington, led them to its first two championships, and was an eight-time All-Pro.
It would be decades before anyone began challenging some of his records. And how the Commanders could use someone of Baugh’s stature under center during the 2023 season.
Here’s some trivia for you. Baugh, who was drafted No. 6 overall in 1937, completed 1,693 passes in his NFL career. Only one quarterback, Ray Buivid, was selected ahead of him, by Chicago. He completed just 34 passes.
Safe to say Washington made the right call with Baugh. A true franchise legend the likes of which we might never see again.
Charley Taylor – Former Commanders WR
- Round 1, 1964 NFL Draft
The Washington Commanders got Charley Taylor out of Arizona State with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1964 NFL Draft. It was the same year they acquired a new quarterback from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Together, Taylor and Sonny Jurgensen would help Washington build one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL.
They already had Bobby Mitchell and would soon be drafting Jerry Smith, to complete the best receiving corps in football. Taylor was the alpha.
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, he had the size to run over defensive backs. Taylor boasted blazing speed for a man his size. Like Mitchell, he had begun his football journey as a running back and started his career in Washington playing in the backfield.
When coach Otto Graham moved him out to wide receiver, Taylor was initially reluctant. But the move paid off.
By the time he retired, Taylor held almost every important receiving record in franchise history and concluded a phenomenal ride as the league’s all-time leader in catches – a record that would stand for another seven years after his retirement.
Art Monk – Former Commanders WR
- Round 1, 1980 NFL Draft
Art Monk broke some of Charley Taylor’s records, and would also hold league-wide records upon his retirement. At various points in his illustrious career, the prolific wide receiver held league-wide distinctions for most catches in a season, most catches in a career, and most consecutive games with a catch.
That final record may be the most telling. Monk was not a flashy runner. He did not have blazing speed. He was simply the most consistent receiver the franchise – and perhaps the entire league – has ever seen.
He produced day in and day out, year in and year out, throughout the greatest run in Washington Commanders franchise history.
Monk was well-known for being a man of few words. But he was a team leader nonetheless.
With the team seemingly stuck in a tailspin after their second Super Bowl win in 1988, Monk asked coach Joe Gibbs for permission to call a players-only meeting. The Commanders franchise had missed the playoffs the previous two seasons and were mired around .500 well into the 1990 campaign.
Monk’s address to the team – which came to be known as the “put-up-or-shut-up” speech, not only turned that season around but was credited by many players as being the first step to the team’s final Super Bowl win a few years later.
Russ Grimm – Former Commanders OL
- Round 3, 1981 NFL Draft
Coach Joe Bugel coined the name “Hogs”. Veteran offensive tackle George Starke was ordained Boss Hog. Mammoth tackle Joe Jacoby had the best story, and center Jeff Bostic had the best mouth. But Russ Grimm was the Hogs.
He came in Round No. 3 of the 1981 NFL Draft, after another all-time great lineman, Mark May, was drafted in the first round. And though he was expected to play well, not many people outside the organization saw just how good this kid from Pittsburgh could be.
The Washington Commanders’ signature running plays throughout the 1980s were the counter trey, often run right, with Grimm and Jacoby pulling from the left side.
The 50 Gut, often run left, with John Riggins finding a hole between Grimm and either Bostic on the inside or Jacoby on the outside. But one thing was usually constant. Grimm was in the middle of it.
Grimm had been a linebacker as a young player, only making the transition to the offensive line midway through his college career. It showed in how well he moved, despite not having the best-looking body in the league. He also used his knowledge of how defenses played to master trap blocks, often outsmarting his opponents.
To date, Grimm remains the only member of the Hogs to be enshrined in Canton.
Darrell Green – Former Commanders CB
- Round 1, 1983 NFL Draft
To many fans, Darrell Green is the most popular player in Washington Commanders franchise history. He had blistering speed. He made iconic plays – whether it was chasing down Tony Dorsett to prevent a touchdown in his rookie season against the Dallas Cowboys, or returning a punt for a touchdown to help defeat the Chicago Bears on the way to the team’s second Super Bowl.
Green played 20 seasons, all in Washington, and still holds multiple team records. And his infectious optimism made even jaded fans smile.
One of the television highlights of the 1980s and 1990s was the All-Madden Team selections. Always performed with flair by iconic coach/commentator John Madden.
One year, his defense consisted of 10 linemen and linebackers. Then, Madden acknowledged he would need some to play in the secondary, so he picked Green as his only defensive back, arguing he was fast enough to cover everyone by himself.
Defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon admitted he thought Green was too slight to play in the NFL. But it didn’t take long to change his mind. The coach later acknowledged that a lot of his defensive schemes were built around the cornerback’s speed and talent.
Green could neutralize the other team’s best receiver, allowing Petitbon the freedom to blitz or mix up other coverages. Check any survey of the greatest or most popular players in franchise history and the former Texas A&M-Kingsville star will be in the top couple – oftentimes at No. 1.
And now, I promised you a bonus. We’ll call this a supplemental selection.
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.