Ranking the San Francisco 49ers GOATs at each position.
By James Jones
Tight End: Vernon Davis
There was a time when tight end Brent Jones was, hands down, considered the greatest the 49ers had ever seen at the position. It made sense what with his 417 receptions and 33 touchdowns over 11 years.
That was all due to change when the 49ers drafted a highly touted tight end out of the University of Maryland in 2006. Vernon Davis was predicted to be a top 10 pick in that draft and the 49ers, sitting at sixth overall, wasted little time in selecting him.
Davis did not disappoint, catching his first career pass for a touchdown on opening day of the 2006 season. It was a sign of things to come, even if those things wouldn’t arrive until a few years later. it wasn’t until an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Seattle Seahawks in 2008, causing Davis to be benched and banished to the locker room, that his attitude and career began to change.
Davis finished his time with the 49ers having compiled, 441 receptions, 5,640 yards and 55 touchdowns.
There is no doubt that he is the greatest tight end the team has ever seen.
Honorable mentions: Brent Jones, Russ Francis