Mike Ditka
Stats: 427 receptions, 5,812 yards, 43 touchdowns
Ditka is said to have changed the way the tight end position was played. He proved that a player could both block people at the line of scrimmage, while also being a serious threat in the passing game. Compared to today, Ditka’s numbers may look pedestrian, but he finished in the top 10 in the NFL in reception from 1961 to 1964.