The 10 best tight ends in Washington Commanders franchise history

The tight end position didn’t emerge in the NFL until the 1960s. Before that, teams may have occasionally lined up an eligible receiver next to an offensive tackle, but it was not a standard position.

By the end of the 1960s, players like Mike Ditka, John Mackey, and Charlie Sanders would help make the position a permanent part of most offenses. Those three players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but just nine tight ends to have been honored with enshrinement in Canton.

That means the vast majority of NFL franchises cannot boast of ever having had a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end. The Washington Commanders are one of those teams. That does not mean they have not had several elite players at the position.

Ranking them can be tricky. Washington has only had three tight ends start for more than five seasons. Not surprisingly, those are among the team’s all-time greats. There were a lot of other players with briefer runs, but who still made a mark on franchise history.

Criteria for selection

Our job is to rank the 10 greatest tight ends in franchise history. We’ll look at productivity and longevity first. Then we’ll factor in how important each player was to the team’s success. Finally, we’ll look at intangibles like leadership and iconic moments.

We will only consider the player’s career with Washington. That will figure into a couple of decisions. We will also consider the era in which they played when looking at statistics.

Just like wide receivers, tight ends have benefitted from the liberalization of the rules governing the passing game. Before 2011, no tight end had ever accounted for more than 1,300 receiving yards in a season. Since then, five have topped that number. Travis Kelce has done it three times.

Longevity is easy to calculate. Intangibles are much harder. We’ll have a perfect example of it in the first player in our countdown.

The top 10 tight ends in Washington Commanders franchise history

10. Rick "Doc" Walker

Consider these two sets of statistics: One player catches 162 passes for more the 2,000 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over six years. Another player, also over the same time period, catches 56 balls for about 500 receiving yards and six scores. Which one is better?

The first player is Fred Davis, who was with Washington from 2008-2013. The second is Doc Walker.

Davis, whose tenure was marked by maturity issues (he failed to learn the playbook as a rookie), legal issues, failed drug tests, and injuries, never lived up to his second-round draft status. Walker, who never caught more than 17 passes in a season in his career, was an original member of the Hogs, a ferocious blocker, and a vocal team leader.

Walker, who has gone on to a very successful career in broadcasting, was a starter in Washington’s first Super Bowl victory. 'Doc' is on the “greatest” list and Davis is not entirely because of intangibles like leadership.

9. Bill Anderson

How do we evaluate Bill Anderson to other tight ends in franchise history? You might consider his staggering 17.4 yards per catch, a figure that dwarfs all the others on this list.

He had more catches and touchdowns than several players who will be ranked ahead of him, even though Anderson played a very long time ago. He made two Pro Bowls. No tight end in franchise history has been selected for that honor more. The problem is that the player was not exclusively a tight end.

Anderson was Washington’s first full-time tight end back in 1961. Before that, he had been a very productive traditional end for a couple of seasons. He caught 40 balls that season - his most catches ever - at just under 16 yards per reception.

The arrival of Bobby Mitchell the following season reduced Anderson’s targets quite a bit and he would never achieve those numbers again. But he still holds a special place in team history as Washington’s first tight end - and a pretty good one at that.

8. Vernon Davis

D.C. native and University of Maryland alum Vernon Davis finally returned home in 2016. By that point, he had already been in the league for eleven 11 seasons, had caught over 450 passes, and scored 55 touchdowns for other teams. But even at 32 years old, his blazing speed and elite athleticism were still evident.

Davis was signed as a free agent in 2016, ostensibly to be a veteran backup to Jordan Reed. The starter's battles with injuries meant that he would play quite a bit over the next four seasons, at times in two-tight end sets, and at times as a traditional flex.

Over his final four seasons, the veteran caught 122 balls and averaged more than 14 yards per catch. Early in the first game of his final season, the 35-year-old caught a short out from Case Keenum, hurdled one Philadelphia Eagles defender, bulled his way through two more, and outran a fourth to the end zone on a 48-yard touchdown.

It left Washington fans wishing he had come home a little earlier.

7. Jean Fugett

Throughout four seasons with Washington, Jean Fugett only caught 51 balls. How could he possibly be on a list of all-time greats?

Some context. During Fugett’s first couple of years, he was playing for George Allen and he liked to run the ball. Washington typically ran the ball more than 500 times a season under the coach, while throwing well under 400 passes.

In 1977, Fugett led the team in receptions with just 36 catches. The one-time Pro Bowler is on this list because when opportunities in the passing game emerged, he maximized them.

The Amherst grad’s 14.9 yards per catch is the highest of any full-time tight end in franchise history. And his 21 touchdown receptions mean that he found the end on more than 40 percent of his receptions. Fugett came to town after four years with the Dallas Cowboys, along with running back Calvin Hill. It was due to the same fluke in league rules that allowed Washington to sign John Riggins.  

After a knee injury ended his career in 1979, Fugett went on to a career as a lawyer and businessman. He was also one of the original hosts of WTEM, Washington’s all-sports radio station in the early 1990s.

6. Logan Thomas

Logan Thomas came to Washington after bouncing around the NFL for six years, having been part of five other teams. He transitioned from quarterback to tight end rather late in the game and consequently spent several years learning the nuances of a new position.

By the time he arrived in D.C., he was just hitting his peak. His first season in Washington was a revelation in 2020. He caught 72 balls and found the end zone six times. He helped his team return to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

Thomas should have been a Pro Bowl selection, but that honor went to Evan Engram of the New York Giants. The former Virginia Tech star had more catches, more yards, more touchdowns, more first downs, and a higher catch percentage. He would have been Washington’s fourth tight end to receive this distinction, but it wasn't to be.

Unfortunately, Thomas suffered several injuries the following year and he never regained his earlier form. Without a reliable option over the middle, the team’s offense suffered greatly. They also missed his leadership.

As a former quarterback, Thomas had a sense of the game that differed from many position players. He made smart plays at crucial moments. And despite playing just 52 games for Washington, he still ranks fifth amongst all tight ends with 184 catches.

5. Clint Didier

Clint Didier caught fewer than two passes per game during his time in Washington. Another tight end, who I am not even ranking, Jamie Asher, grabbed more than five passes per game.

Why is Didier ranked so high while Asher is ignored? It’s what they did with those catches.

Didier averaged over 14 yards per catch while Asher's number was under 11. More importantly, the Portland State product turned his catches into points.

He caught 19 touchdowns. Almost 15 percent of his catches got him into the end zone. Asher, by comparison, scored just five times - fewer than 4% of his receptions.

Didier played during the magical run in the 1980s under Joe Gibbs. The offense could run. It had multiple pass-catching weapons. He was used primarily as a blocker, but whenever called on, his speed and athleticism made him very dangerous on seam routes.

The former 12th-round pick was a member of Washington’s first two Super Bowl teams, scoring a couple more touchdowns in the 1987-88 playoff run. When he sprinted past Tyrone Braxton for an eight-yard score just before halftime of Super Bowl XXII, it capped the greatest quarter in NFL history.

Didier may well have been the beneficiary of good timing. But he made the most of it when given the chance.

4. Jordan Reed

Injury is the only thing that kept Jordan Reed from being an elite tight end. Had he not suffered multiple concussions that caused him to miss about five games per season in D.C., he might have gone down as the best Washington tight end of all time.

Reed is third on Washington’s all-time list of receptions, yardage, and touchdowns by a tight end, despite playing in just 65 games. All the players in his vicinity played well over 100 games. He caught more than five passes a game. He scored a touchdown once every three contests.

When he came out of Florida, Reed was considered a gifted receiver, but he did not have blinding speed or above-average strength. Washington got him in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He proved to be an exceptional route runner who had a knack for finding soft spots in the middle of the zone.

He became one of Kirk Cousins’ favorite targets in 2015, catching 87 balls. Sixty-five of those resulted in either first downs or touchdowns. In a key matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles late in the year, he scored two touchdowns on identical circle routes.

On the first one, he found a soft spot in front of Philadelphia's Cover 2 safeties and was wide open. The Eagles were ready for him the next time. Linebacker Mychal Kendricks had him covered. But Reed made a deft move and left him in the dust. Once again, he was wide open.

Reed always seemed to be open near the goal line. If only he could have stayed healthy.

3. Don Warren

Unlike Jordan Reed, Donnie Warren scored a touchdown in fewer than four percent of the games he played for Washington. And he played a lot of games - 193 in all, which is the sixth most in franchise history.

In his first five years, Warren posted mundane receiving numbers, averaging about 30 catches per year at a little over 11 yards per reception. But as Joe Gibbs developed the power-running, two-tight end offense that would result in three championships, he emerged as one of the finest blocking tight ends of all time.

Whether lining up opposite Doc Walker, Clint Didier, or Ron Middleton, Warren could be relied on to provide crunching blocks at the point of attack which sealed the edge on sweeps and counters. He was one of the original Hogs - not an honorary member like John Riggins - but a full-fledged mauler.

Warren was also a very reliable pass catcher. Late in his career, it became almost comical to see him catch a short pass and fall to the ground, whether there was a defender on him or not. But when it was third and short, he was money in the bank.

The fourth-round pick in 1979 got first downs. He was the starting tight end in four of Washington’s five Super Bowl appearances and in all three victories. Warren was the perfect Gibbs player.

2. Chris Cooley

Washington was in somewhat of a tight end waste land after Don Warren retired in 1992. Jamie Asher and Steven Alexander flashed talent but they could not sustain their production. Other names like Frank Wycheck, Ethan Horton, Scott Galbreath, Walter Rasby, and Zeron Flemister came and went in an instant.

Then, in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft, Washington selected Chris Cooley out of Utah State and the position would be secure for the remainder of the decade.

Cooley was a hugely productive player whose size, speed, and reckless attitude made him an instant fan favorite. After splitting time with Robert Royal as a rookie, he emerged during his second season with 71 catches and seven touchdowns. He started every game between 2005 and 2008, averaging 70 receptions and almost 800 receiving yards per season.

Injuries began to slow him down after that, but Cooley still managed to have one of his best seasons in 2010, catching 77 balls for 849 yards. Though he played under Joe Gibbs early, and Mike Shanahan late, the popular figure had the misfortune of playing on mostly mediocre teams.

The team didn’t offer fans much to cheer about during his prime. Cooley retired with more catches than any tight end in franchise history and is just one of two full-time Washington tight ends to be selected to the Pro Bowl multiple times. He and Chirs Samuels both wore No. 21 in honor of teammate Sean Taylor, who was chosen posthumously for the game in 2008.

Upon retiring, Cooley went on to become a very popular broadcaster whose post-game film breakdowns were must-watches for all fans.

1. Jerry Smith

Jerry Smith was a skinny receiver who came to Washington in the ninth round of the 1965 draft. He began as a wide receiver but moved inside early in his career. During the 1960s, he teamed with outside receivers Bobby Mitchell and Charley Taylor to give the team one of the most dangerous receiving corps the NFL had ever seen.

Smith stayed in Washington for his entire 13-year career, playing in 168 games. He was selected to the Pro Bowl twice and was named first-team All-Pro in 1969, the only Washington tight end to receive this honor.

He trails Chris Cooley in total catches, but his 421 receptions still rank him No. 6 on the franchise list for all pass catchers. Smith has more receiving yards than any tight end in franchise history. That yardage total puts him at No. 7 in team history, trailing three Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receivers, and three other beloved wideouts.

His most remarkable statistic is touchdowns. Smith scored 60 of them for Washington. Upon retirement, no tight end had more. Only future Hall of Famer Dave Casper was within shouting distance.

Smith played in Washington’s first Super Bowl, but most of his best years were early. And the signature play for which he should have been remembered was snatched away by fickle happenstance.

With Washington desperately trying to mount a comeback against the undefeated Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VII, Smith, as usual, was wide open in the back of the end zone for a certain touchdown. But Billy Kilmer’s pass hit the crossbar and never made it to the tight end. Washington lost the game 14-7.

Two years later, the NFL moved the goalposts to their current position at the back of the end zone.

The 10 best tight ends in Washington Commanders history by receiving yards

Information via Statmuse.

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