Vernon Davis: Is He the Best TE in the NFL?
By Tony Navarra
Dec 15, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis (85) prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Setup
Ask any San Francisco 49er fan who the best player on the team is, and you’re likely to get any of 53 different answers. As a fanbase, the love for the team goes roster-wide, where other teams fans tend to focus on just the playmakers, fans love this roster. Love is a funny thing, though. Love tends to pool for sports teams, towards the best players and roster-wide support aside, the 49ers have hands-down some of the most talented players in the entire NFL. Near the top of the list, the discussion absolutely must include 49ers tight end Vernon Davis. Davis has, over the course of his career, proven himself a capable playmaker at all stages of the game.
As a blocker, he keeps his edge locked down fantastically. Runs to his side of the field have a higher chance of being successful than ones to the other.
As a receiver though, his ability to create holes in coverage, and outrun linebackers has proved absolutely invaluable to the success of the team. When Davis is on the field, defenses absolutely cannot avoid covering him with a faster defensive back, as he’ll quickly outrun a slower player. Keeping this in mind, usually means a safety must be assigned to him, or at least to cover him closer than anyone else on his side of the playing field.
His Contemporaries
With all this in mind, can we consider him the best tight end in the NFL? How does he stack up against the likes of Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski, or even Tony Gonzalez? Arguably the only other active players in the discussion of best TE in the NFL over the last three years. Here’s how they all stack up:
TE’s 2011-2013 |
Games
Receptions
Yards
Avg
Touchdowns
Jimmy Graham
46
265
3436
13
35
Rob Gronkowski
34
184
2709
14.7
32
Tony Gonzales
47
252
2608
10.3
23
Vernon Davis
46
157
2145
13.8
23
(Stats compiled from NFL.com)
Perhaps not the numbers we expected to see when everything is said and done. Davis doesn’t top any of these categories, but I don’t want to say that you have to take these with a grain of salt, but you do at least have to consider that the three other teams in this comparison are anything but run-first as the 49ers tend to be. Over the last three seasons, here are the running game offensive rankings for all four contenders’ teams:
ATL 2011 |
SF 2011
NE 2011
NO 2011
Rush Yards/Game
114.6
127.8
110.2
132.9
Rush attempts
453
498
438
431
Avg Yards/Attempt
4
4.1
4
4.9
Rush TDs
14
14
18
16
RushYds Rank
17th
8th
20th
6th
ATL 2012
SF 2012
NE 2012
NO 2012
Rush Yards/Game
87.3
155.7
136.5
98.6
Rush attempts
378
492
523
370
Avg Yards/Attempt
3.7
5.1
4.2
4.3
Rush TDs
12
17
25
10
RushYds Rank
29th
4th
7th
25th
ATL 2013
SF 2013
NE 2013
NO 2013
Rush Yards/Game
78.1
141.2
119.9
91.7
Rush attempts
301
482
427
361
Avg Yards/Attempt
3.9
4.4
4.2
3.8
Rush TDs
11
18
17
8
RushYds Rank
32nd
3rd
12th
25th
(Stats compiled from NFL.com)
None of the other teams over the past three seasons have had as adept a rushing offense as the 49ers have in this span.
In the End?
What does this mean?
Well to my estimation, this means that if you inserted Vernon Davis into one of these offenses, you’d easily see increased production. The man is tough, large, fast, and really good at his job. He does what is asked of him in every phase of his game, and is always looking to improve his level of play. Does that make him the best at his position? It might not, but it does put him in every discussion about it, and puts him near the top. Enough years like that back to back, and you earn yourself a spot in history. Don’t believe me? Just look at Tony Gonzalez.