Vernon Davis, the San Francisco 49ers tight end, has become one of the NFL’s premier and most respected players of the modern era. Ever since former SF head coach Mike Singletary disciplined Davis by benching him after an outburst in 2008, he made dramatic changes to his game and the Niners are the thankful benefactors.
The question is: Is Vernon Davis the best tight end in the NFL right now? Let’s find out.
In his first 8 seasons, Davis has incredible numbers for a tight end. In 119 career games, he’s put up 397 receptions for 5,201 yards and 53 touchdowns. On average, he’s scored 6.6 touchdowns per season, 44.7 yards per game, and 3.3 receptions per game. On top of all that, he’s put up a total of 320 points during his tight end career with the 49ers.
Perhaps it’s during the postseason where Vernon Davis shines the most. During his postseason career, he’s put up 25 receptions for 584 yards (21.0 yards per catch) and 7 touchdowns, tying Raiders legend Dave Casper for the most postseason touchdowns (as well as the most touchdowns for any player in the postseason since 2011). But where Casper took 14 games in the playoffs with the Raiders to get 7 touchdowns, it took 7 games for Davis to do the same. That is damn impressive.
Davis had one of his best years during the 2013 regular season. As well as tying a career record with 13 touchdowns (did the same in 2009), he had 52 receptions and 850 yards. His 13 touchdowns were tied with Cowboys WR Dez Bryant for the 3rd most among receivers/TE’s in the NFL, only behind Demaryius Thomas and Jimmy Graham.
Even in games where he’s had little use, he’s been a key factor in the 49ers’ success. During the 2nd quarter of Sunday’s game against the Panthers, despite only having 1 reception for a single yard, that reception also happened to be a touchdown catch that help give San Francisco the lead before halftime – it was a lead they would never relinquish.
One could make a case that Jimmy Graham is the best tight end in the NFL right now, but it’s hard to argue against Vernon Davis. As well as being spectacular in the regular season, his 3 years in the postseason are full of incredible moments (The Catch III being one of them), and he has an established postseason legacy that Graham lacks (though he certainly is on his way there).
Some may scoff Davis for not having a Super Bowl ring (yet), but it shouldn’t come down to that to determine the legacy of a tight end. Davis’ speed and strength, as well as his ability to get open and evade defenders make him a top choice in my book. At 29 years of age, as long as he’s healthy, we could see him break the all time postseason TD record for a tight end and improve upon the record.
It’s going to be fun seeing how Vernon Davis can top himself in the future, especially on Sunday against the Seahawks.
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