Itll be interesting to see if his postseason prowess carries him, as it arguably did Lynn Swann in his eventual election. Rent the Hall. What will define Eric Bieniemy's success? For now, Tom Brady and J.J. Watt lead the list of this years retirees wholl be on the ballot in 2028. Pro Football Reference Hall of Fame Monitor, Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. Elliott should be a prohibitive favorite to get in. That's just about a magic formula for getting into the Hall. Jones should make up some of that difference in 2020, and after Fitzgerald retires, he should be able to challenge the Cardinals great for that second spot. Of the nine corners who have debuted since the NFL-AFL merger and made the Hall of Fame, just two had been a first-team All-Pro by their third season, which puts White in good company alongside Rod Woodson and then-corner Ronnie Lott. Copyright 2023 Action Network Inc, All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | AdChoices. I addressed this in my MVP column in July. Meanwhile, Johnson spent the first 12 years of his career with the expansion Texans, who didnt make the playoffs until his ninth season with quarterback play that ran the gamut from dreadful to above average. Every two-time winner got in easily, so while Watt might not have the longevity he hoped for, the Houston icon could retire tomorrow and get in. The three have career numbers that are comparable, and Holt and Wayne had the good fortune of playing with Hall of Fame quarterbacks (Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning) while winning Super Bowls. He just turned 26 in August. He's the second-most productive receiver in football history. In the running (40% to 69%): WR A.J. Worthy Hall of Fame (HOF) NFL Wide Receivers: The shoo-ins Let's start by running through five obvious cases of overly-qualified receivers who have not yet been enshrined. Gilmore wasn't on track to become a Hall of Famer before he joined the Patriots, having made one Pro Bowl across his first five seasons in Buffalo, but he has made back-to-back first-team All-Pro teams and then won Defensive Player of the Year last season. Even if he slows down from here on out, Miller's going to the Hall. Bakhtiari, likewise, is blocked by Tyron Smith. Adams hasn't been able to break through the Julio Joneses of the world to earn a first-team All-Pro spot, which is probably where he needs to get. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. The only thing likely to keep him out of Canton is an electorate that habitually underrates interior offensive linemen in favor of an endless stream of running backs. The Hall of Fame Game, like the rest of the preseason, has been canceled during the coronavirus pandemic. When: 1999-2004 These two probably had the greatest four-year stretch in NFL history. What makes Evans production especially impressive is that he entered the league at such a young age. Moving to a higher-profile, more successful team will help Ramsey's chances of drawing national attention, although he wasn't close to Stephon Gilmore or Tre'Davious White a year ago. Since 1980, there have been 23 Modern-Era Wide Receivers honored by the Hall of Fame, with an average Legends Score of 29. Just nine tight ends are enshrined, and Kelce's game leans more toward receiving than any of them. Timing can matter for players, and it has been weird for Suh. He's going to get in on the first ballot. Typically, there are between 45 and 50 Hall of Famers playing at any one time. Wagner also has a Super Bowl victory and, quite famously, an MVP vote from Tony Dungy on his rsum. Xavien Howard made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and would be the best candidate, but he has missed an average of six games per season across his four pro campaigns. In the running (40% to 69%): S Jamal Adams. Julio Jones (2011-17): 8,076, two-time All-Pro, will be a Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice (1985-89): 7,370, Hall-of-Famer, greatest receiver of all time Randy Moss (1998-2003): 7,258, Hall-of-Famer Torry Holt (1999-2004): 7,147, most yards through five years in NFL history Kamara took a step backward last season when he ran into some touchdown regression, but he still did enough to earn his third Pro Bowl appearance in three years. Players with two Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro spot across their first three seasons who are eligible for the Hall have made it just over 48% of the time. He had a wasted 2019 season, as he went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 3 and averaged 3.2 yards per carry over his next seven games after returning, but 2020 should see Barkley return to form. All but. The Cowboys are blessed with two linemen bound for Canton. Bosa's case is trickier, in part because he missed four games in 2016 and nine games in 2018 with injuries. Lock (100%): QB Patrick Mahomes. Harold Carmichael finished his career with 590 receptions and 79 touchdowns. Some players draw more attention after getting traded or signing a big extension, and Buckner did both this offseason. I worry a little about Atkins because he plays in a small market and in an era in which he's second fiddle to a better version of the same player (Aaron Donald), but history suggests Atkins is in. He has a stronger case than you think. While injuries have cost Watt 32 games over the past four seasons, his unprecedented four-season peak from 2012 to 2015 locked up things. Try selecting a different location. If Wagner makes it to another Pro Bowl or two, I don't think Willis' status will matter. Charley Taylor<br>1964-1975, 1977 . Interior OL | Edge The former LSU corner was already a star on the field after his 2018 campaign, but getting that first nod is usually tougher than getting invited back. He isn't going to catch Jerry Rice, but he's just under 5,000 yards behind Larry Fitzgerald, who ranks second in career receiving yards. Green. 1 with seven receiving touchdowns as well as 1,407 air yards and yards after the catch combined (perAirYards.com). He joined the Chronicle in January 2015 as the online sports editor. Work to do (10% to 39%): TE George Kittle, DE Nick Bosa. Vinatieri is arguably the greatest clutch kicker in NFL history, twice making last-second field goals to win Super Bowls and also making another famous kick in the Tuck Rule game that helped launch New Englands dynasty. If he recovers and returns to his 2017-18 form, he still has plenty of time to get back on the Canton track, given that he turned 26 this week. In fact, a future Hall of Fame wide receiver recently revealed that Rodgers tried to recruit him over to the Packers. Both players are on a streak, and their chances depend on keeping that streak going. Harold Carmichael and Isaac Bruce will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August. Podcast: Stat superlatives 2 pick was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro during his five seasons in Detroit. He's an easy Hall of Famer. The only player in the Hall of Fame primarily for his work as a punter is Ray Guy, and you could make a case that Hekker is on that track. He also came up with an interception while winning his first Super Bowl, which helps his case. All but Gronkowski generated controversial off-field headlines, but the Hall voters only debate what is accomplished on the field. What will define Eric Bieniemy's success? Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, future Hall of Fame wide receiver, led the best draft class in Rams history in 1945. If that seems surprising after what he accomplished last season, remember that it was his first season with either a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro nod. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. The former star wide receiver on Thursday was not elected in his second time as a modern-era finalist in as many years of eligibility. Round 1: Kiper | McShay | NFL Nation Work to do (10% to 39%): RB Le'Veon Bell, LB C.J. The Ring of Honor recognizes Vikings legends for their contributions to the success of the team on and off the field. Jeremy Fowler polled a panel of more than 50 coaches, execs, scouts and players to come up with top-10 rankings for 2020: QB | RB | TE | WR | OT He followed that by posting a passer rating of 135.3 in the playoffs, which was the second-best mark in league history for a quarterback with at least 75 attempts. He also earned two major awards: Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year the following season. He's in line behind guys like Atkins unless the USC product continues to make Pro Bowls deep into his 30s. Julio or Hopkins: Who's the better bet to lead in receiving? Gates numbers compare very favorably with those of the nine tight ends in the Hall. Assessing Browns' FA needs. Things would be different if he had actually won the MVP award or been the quarterback who ran the Eagles through the playoffs in 2017. March 25, 2020 9:36 pm ET. The big deal he signed with the Jags and the subsequent 14.5-sack campaign he posted in leading them to the AFC Championship Game turned the tide, as Campbell was a first-team All-Pro and made three consecutive Pro Bowl trips with Jacksonville. As a result, I'll mention them often, especially when looking at players who don't touch the ball frequently. Grading the Jamal Adams trade Wagner turned 30 in June, and after eight seasons in the league, he has six Pro Bowl appearances and five first-team All-Pro nominations. If Murray breaks out in Year 2, he'll be on the fast track. If a receiver can enter the league and perform well right away at a boyish age, that speaks well for his future as he develops. The only Hall-eligible players drafted since 1970 who have five of those and aren't in the Hall are Alan Faneca and Zach Thomas. Players with that sort of injury history early in their careers typically don't have the sort of lengthy peak needed to become a Hall of Famer. Hekker's case is interesting. Cliff Branch and Herman Moore are two of the few exceptions, but their performance fell off significantly after their third All-Pro trip and never recovered to their prior level. His peak is Hall of Fame-worthy -- he has two of the three best seasons in fantasy football history by a tight end -- but it lasted only four seasons. Brown was arguably the NFLs best receiver from 2013-18 in Pittsburgh, but wasnt the same player after he left the Steelers. If you want to know why people are excited about the Cowboys' offense in 2020, consider that they could have as many as five future Hall of Famers lining up when everyone's healthy. You probably dont need me to tell you that in 2018 Moss became the most recent receiver to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Evans is just one of four NFL players ever to have 1,000 yards receiving as a 21-year-old rookie. He turned 32 on Friday, and while there could be more left in the tank, he probably needs another Pro Bowl season or two to ensure he makes it. Graham's case is interesting. He figures to have a strong case for first-ballot election. As he turns 30 in September, Gilmore probably needs at least two more seasons in which he has a credible case as the best cornerback in football -- or a really long peak. Rodgers is a three-time All-Pro, a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team and so much more. Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in football, although he might struggle to earn first-team All-Pro nods when stuck in the same time frame as Mahomes. will Evans play and how productive will he be? Regardless of age, Evans has had an impressive start to his career. In the running (40% to 69%): DE Josh Allen. Evans is on pace to join Randy Moss as the only other player in NFL history to open his career with six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns. Just six of 32 Hall-eligible winners made it to Canton, although that's going to rise in the years to come as the likes of Charles Woodson and Julius Peppers win enshrinement. Thielen only emerged as a starter after turning 26, which means he would have to play into his late 30s to have a chance at racking up the cumulative stats modern wide receivers will need for enshrinement. Gore is the football equivalent of somebody like MLB outfielder Jim Rice as a compiler who plays a position the electorate loves. He should have a very strong case for election. One more Pro Bowl would probably do the trick. One issue: Five of those six are running backs, with Randy Moss as the only exception. Buy Seahawks Tickets. I'll do a little bit of projecting here and there, given historical aging curves and what we know about each player's injury history, but this is almost entirely about what each player has done so far. Six players have done that since the merger: Murray, Cam Newton, Sam Bradford, George Rogers, Billy Sims and Earl Campbell. Peppers, who played for the Panthers (twice), Bears and Packers, ranks fourth on the NFLs all-time sack list with 159 and was also on the Halls All-Decade Team for the 2000s and 2010s. Given his style, I worry about his aging curve versus that of tight ends who are basically glorified wide receivers. All HOFm Positions: QBRBWRTEGTCDTDEILBOLBDBKP, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 2:32PM. In the running (40% to 69%): QB Deshaun Watson. Rodgers inked a three-year, $150 million extension with the Packers last March, but reports . While James is closer to the 69% end of the spectrum here, Bosa's more toward 40%. All seven players who did that and who are eligible for the Hall are in, and the list of ineligible guys includes Hill, Patrick Willis, Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Peterson, Zack Martin and Aaron Donald. Even if Hopkins takes a step backward without Deshaun Watson, he's probably just a couple of Pro Bowls from getting in. Draft a league now and start fresh with a 0-0 record and a shortened schedule. Both are locks for election. McCaffrey is still only 24 and has a relatively sterling health history, so it's on him to buck history. Prescott has made two Pro Bowls over his first four seasons, but his best rsum point is winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016. If you need something more, Fitzgerald's 2008 playoff run is probably the best postseason from any receiver in league history. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Peters might not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he should get in eventually. Wilson hasn't missed a game as a pro, so as long as he plays another five or six seasons and continues to rank among the better quarterbacks in football, he should be fine. The Defensive Player of the Year candidate was named a first-team All-Pro in 2015 and 2019, but he hasn't received any other nominations across his other five pro seasons. He was excellent in his third season, but since then, his production has roughly been in line with that of Robby Anderson. A Super Bowl victory would probably help. Goff took a major step backward in 2019 and doesn't appear to be on the same level as the other top quarterbacks in the conference. He might not make it on the first ballot, but he should make it eventually. Inductees Nominees Induction Weekend Induction Process Landmark Award Squier-Hall Award Blue Jacket & Class Ring. Early in a player's career, I'm also comfortable using draft status as an estimate of talent until they establish themselves as pros, which will lead to some very inexperienced players making this list. No promotions available. Even so, I think hell eventually get there. He repeated that feat in 2019, but he'll need to have Campbell's longevity and continue at this level into his mid-30s to have a viable path to the Hall. Sanders started 16 regular season games at cornerback and another eight at wide receiver - becoming the first two-way starter in the NFL since the Philadelphia Eagles Chuck Bednarik, who retired in 1962. (1:43). A score of 100 is around the average modern-era inductee. The Nebraska product nearly won a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2018, but a win with the Bucs and one more All-Pro appearance would greatly help his chances. Do you have a sports website? He needs only three more years to get to 60,000 passing yards, and if that gets Philip Rivers in, Ryan shouldn't have much trouble. Browns star left tackle Joe Thomas and Jets greats Joe . He probably needs two more All-Pro seasons to finalize his case. DT | LB | CB | Safety Like Campbell, Heyward didn't earn widespread notoriety until he was approaching 30, with the Steelers star becoming a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler for the first time in his seventh season. Contemporaries Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne also made the finalists cut from 15 to 10 with Johnson, but likewise didnt gain election. As good as third-year receiver Chris Godwin has been for the Bucs this season, its hard to say that hes anything more than the Anquan Boldin to Evans Fitz. With three rushing titles, a 2,000-yard season and an MVP award in his trophy room, Peterson will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. In 1996, he decided to play football full-time. He was on the All-2000s team, a three-time first team All-Pro and made eight Pro Bowls. After being retired for five years, players maintain modern-era eligibility for 20 years, after which their cases go to the seniors committee. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. The reason Jackson is in this section and Fuller is in the next group is that Jackson has made two Pro Bowls in three seasons while Fuller has two across six years. I think he'll end up getting in because he has simply racked up numbers year after year without missing much time, although I could also see an argument that he hasn't done enough outside of that one brilliant year. AP Photo/Harold Filan. Lattimore has two Pro Bowl appearances in his first three seasons; if you throw out early-career players like Lattimore, Jalen Ramsey and Marcus Peters, eight of the 11 corners to pull that off since the merger are either in the Hall of Fame or going there. Edelman's career as a starter really didn't begin until he was 27, so while his case is built on postseason performance, I still don't think he has the regular-season production needed to supplement a case. Exclusive: Abbott explains push against diversity hiring programs, Texas wants to ban delta-8, but veterans are pushing back, UH, Texas A&M removing DEI statements from hiring practices, The Breakfast Klub sues prominent City Hall consultant for fraud, Astros GM Dana Brown the antithesis of his predecessors, Houston is the most stressful city to work in, says new study, Lauren Daigle at Houston Rodeo: 'God always has your number', Galveston gets fourth Carnival Cruise Line, was not elected in his second time as a modern-era finalist, Houston-area boys basketball playoffs: Regional final scores, Texas Southern falls to rival Prairie View A&M in season finale, Washington advances to state basketball tournament, UT ends regular season on high note with win over Kansas, UH's basketball rivalry with Memphis could end as soon as Sunday. I mentioned the math for quarterbacks in the Bengals section; in Garrett's case, four of 26 non-QBs taken with the first overall pick since the merger have made it to the Hall. He has now made three consecutive Pro Bowls, although his only first-team All-Pro nod came in 2017. The NFL's 2023 Hall of Fame Game will feature the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, the Hall announced Tuesday. Three different Cowboys defenders make this list, and you could make a case for Jaylon Smith, too. On Tuesday, future NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald spoke with the team. Work to do (10% to 39%): TE Jimmy Graham, CB Kyle Fuller. One more nomination should get Smith in. Gore is third in career rushing yards, which owes much to the fact that he also ranks third in carries. you might say Moss, Larry Fitzgerald and DeAndre Hopkins. Hes too similar to other Hall-of-Famers and future Hall-of-Famers not to be taken seriously. Edelman has never made a Pro Bowl, but the only player with more receiving yards in the playoffs is Jerry Rice. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. There are four notable first-time eligibles on this ballot: running back Adrian Peterson, tight end Rob Gronkowski, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown. The Cal product has five Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro appearance through his age-30 season. If Kelce can earn that nod in 2020, that might be enough to get him in. Edelman's case rests entirely on playoff and Super Bowl production. Likely (70% to 99%): WR DeAndre Hopkins, CB Patrick Peterson. Likely (70% to 99%): TE Rob Gronkowski. Erica Farber. Work to do (10% to 39%): WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, G David DeCastro, DE Cameron Heyward, S Minkah Fitzpatrick. If you were asked to name off the top of your head the three best NFL receivers to enter the league at 21, you might say Moss, Larry Fitzgerald and DeAndre Hopkins. I would put Gronkowski's chance somewhere around 99%. As a result, I would expect him to make it to the Hall someday. Work to do (10% to 39%): QB Carson Wentz, TE Zach Ertz, CB Darius Slay. There are another 11 players who aren't yet Hall-eligible, and five of them are locks to do the same. McCaffrey could turn into LaDainian Tomlinson, but what if he's more like Shaun Alexander, who won league MVP at his peak and never really got serious Hall of Fame consideration? That might bode well for Suggs case, especially with the premium placed on pass rushers in the modern NFL. Peterson, fifth all-time in rushing yards (14,918), is a good bet for election on the first ballot. Hall of Fame Wide Receivers. 7 overall in the 2014 draft at the age of 20. We still have to see what happens with the former LSU star, but of the 24 quarterbacks drafted with the first overall pick since the merger, five are either Hall of Famers or extremely likely to be enshrined. DISCLAIMER: This site is 100% for entertainment purposes only and does not involve real money betting. On a weekly basis, Evans is a volatile player, but his year-over-year production has been incredibly consistent. Only nine players have done that in league history; outside of Green, the only player of the bunch who isn't in the Hall of Fame or a lock to get in is offensive tackle Richmond Webb, who played a much less notable position. Here's everything we know, Richardson sets QB mark for vertical, broad jump, QB Young 5-10 1/8, 204 pounds at NFL combine, Sources: Patriots tell QB Hoyer he's being cut, Horns' Robinson: Versatility worthy of early pick, Jones: Not fixated on Cowboys' drought, just '23, Sources: Raiders plan franchise tag for Jacobs, WR Addison to Steelers' Pickett: 'Come get me', Wolverines' Turner wows with 4.26 40 at combine, Everything you need to know about Geno Smith's contract negotiations. It's possible to make the Hall of Fame as a lineman without an All-Pro appearance, but the only guy to do it since the merger is Jackie Slater. Ranking the top outlier contracts His case is very strong for a first-ballot election. It's not too late to play with friends and family. Nelson doesn't play a high-profile position, but he's off to a great start. (Justin Simmons, who was one of the NFL's best safeties a year ago, is still waiting for his first Pro Bowl appearance.). But history suggests that his on-field performance makes him a Hall of Fame lock. Marcedes Lewis has been in the NFL for a long time. Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor. CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND Smith needs a similar sort of run over the next few years to have a shot. Hes top-10 in passing yards and touchdowns, so hell get a gold jacket at some point, if not on the first ballot. He made it to four Pro Bowls in his first five seasons with the Ravens, and while that's the sort of production we associate with Hall of Famers, he wasn't able to earn a first-team All-Pro nod over that stretch. Barr made four consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015 to 2018, but it'll be tough for him to get the first-team All-Pro votes he'll need for Canton without racking up significant sack totals. Running backs mean less than they have in the past, but Terrell Davis just made the Hall for what really amounted to a three-season stretch as the best running back in football. With five consecutive first-team All-Pro appearances, he could retire tomorrow and get in without any questions. But as a running back who has been above average or good seemingly forever, he's getting in. In the running (40% to 69%): QB Philip Rivers, G Quenton Nelson, LB Darius Leonard. 1 pick and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, but that hasn't historically been a helpful combination. Whether Johnson will be there to welcome Watt into the Hall of Fame will be interesting. This trio is. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? Finish reading this entire article absolutely FREE in our app. McShay's favorite pick for all 32 teams All rights reserved. Hightower and McCourty have made only two Pro Bowls each, and while they'll get a bump for their Super Bowl rings, it's tough to imagine them getting in when guys like Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi and Mike Vrabel didn't make it from the first era of Pats Super Bowl winners. Exhibits Interactive Experiences Gear Shop Pit Stop Caf Accessibility Champ the Cheetah.