Who is the greatest wide receiver in Washington’s NFL history?

Saw a tweet on Sunday regarding the Washington Commanders‘ career receiving leaders in yards.

Here it is, if you didn’t happen to see it.

Most career receiving yards in #Commanders franchise history:

Art Monk – 12,026
Charley Taylor – 9,110
Gary Clark – 8,742
Santana Moss – 7,867
Terry McLaurin – 6,961
Bobby Mitchell – 6,492
Ricky Sanders – 5,854
Jerry Smith – 5,496
Hugh Taylor – 5,233
Chris Cooley – 4,711 pic.twitter.com/MCqungsk2E

— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) June 28, 2026

Stat lines such as this are great discussion starters. Many fans get so agitated because they think it ‘proves’ who the best players are. But actually, it raises all sorts of great topics for discussion because it prompts a look at the many variables present in such a ‘debate’.

For instance, did you know Charley Taylor was first an NFL running back before being moved to receiver? That’s right, in 1964, they traded their quarterback, Norm Snead, for an Eagles quarterback named Sonny Jurgensen. The Redskins also drafted Taylor in the first round that year.

How good an athlete was Charley Taylor? Well, in his rookie 1964 season, he rushed for 755 yards and had 814 receiving yards out of the backfield. By the way, that was in a 14-game regular-season schedule. The Redskins then drafted tight end Jerry Smith in 1965. Following the 1965 season, Washington’s head coach thought that moving Charley Taylor to receiver might really pay off, as it would create a starting group of receivers that included Taylor, Bobby Mitchell, and tight end Jerry Smith. Otto Graham, a former Cleveland Browns quarterback, believed that Jurgensen’s development would boost their offense. Smith retired with a then record for NFL tight ends of 60 touchdown receptions, which wasn’t broken until Shannon Sharpe.

For the next three seasons, 1966-1968, Jurgensen, Taylor, Mitchell, and Smith were magical. Taylor led the NFL in receptions in 1966 and 1967. In 1967, Jerry Smith had 12 touchdown receptions (remember 14 games). That record was not broken until 2024 when Terry McLaurin caught 13 touchdown passes in 17 games.

Mitchell, being older, had entered the NFL in 1958. Even without Jurgensen, Mitchell led the NFL in receiving yards in 1962 and 1963. The following season, his first with Jurgensen, he led the NFL in touchdown receptions. Sonny Jurgensen? Well, he only led the league in passing yards for five seasons. In addition, in 1967 Jurgensen passed for 31 touchdowns, still a franchise record, though you guessed it, it was in only 14 games.

Art Monk, Gary Clark, and Ricky Sanders were teammates from 1986-1992 and called ‘The Posse’. The played in 16-game schedules and in a very different NFL. They played on teams with good defenses that won a lot, and so we naturally recall their accomplishments. Clark went over 1,000 receiving yards in five seasons. In the Super-Bowl champion 1987 and 1991 seasons, Clark averaged 19.0 and 19.1 yards per reception.

“Where’s Ricky Sanders?” That’s what President Ronald Reagan asked, because Sanders had just broken the receptions yards record in a Super Bowl, when Washington thumped Denver 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII. Most Redskins fans don’t recall that Sanders went over 1,100 receiving yards in 1988 and 1989.

Art Monk? All he did was catch more passes in 1984 (106) than any player had in an NFL season. During the 1992 season, Monk passed Steve Largent to become the all-time NFL leader in receptions, a record he held until Jerry Rice surpassed him.

Santana Moss? Well, in 2005, he broke Bobby Mitchell’s receptions and yards in a season record. In 1963, Mitchell had 1,436, then Moss accumulated 1,483 in 2005. Moss had four seasons over 1,000 receiving yards and three over 1,100.

Who is the best receiver in Washington franchise history? They played in different eras, with different quarterbacks. Offenses have become much more spread out; the rules favor the offenses much more today. They also play three more games each season than Mitchell, Taylor, and Smith did. But the earlier guys also had Sonny Jurgensen; the later guys never had a Hall of Fame quarterback.

So, just forget being so certain. Enjoy the fact that Washington has had some great receivers who brought lots of success and fun to their teams.

Hail!

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Who is the greatest wide receiver in Washington’s NFL history?