No offensive lineman is ever a lock when guys like Faneca still aren't enshrined, but Smith plays the most prominent position on the line for the most popular team in the league. And as much as everyone loves Boldin, he was never dominant enough to keep his former teammate out of Canton. 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. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? In his final college season, he had a nice 69 receptions for 1,394 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games as a redshirt sophomore. 10 Hall of Fame-Worthy NFL Wide Receivers (not named Julian Edelman) Gates, a former college basketball player, had one of the greatest careers for an undrafted player, logging 16 seasons with the Chargers. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Evans has a chance to continue making history in 2022. Seattle: The last stop for (future) Hall of Fame receivers? - Seahawks Wire Contemporaries Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne also made the finalists cut from 15 to 10 with Johnson, but likewise didnt gain election. Wide receiver, Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald's career stats: 1,432 receptions for 17,492 yards and 121 touchdowns One of the greatest wide receivers of all time, and certainly among the most dominant of his era, Fitzgerald will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer sometime around 2026. Aldon Smith, who was once the most promising young edge rusher in football, would need a miraculous comeback in his first season since 2015 to get back on the HOF radar. This trio is. The second-best trade in Reid's history might have been trading a first-rounder to the Bills in 2009 for Peters, who has held down left tackle for 10 of the past 11 seasons in Philadelphia and will return to play guard in 2020. to put up the accumulation stats often needed to bolster a Hall-of-Fame case. While James is closer to the 69% end of the spectrum here, Bosa's more toward 40%. Finish reading this entire article absolutely FREE in our app. NFL Nation: Analysis for every pick Partner with Us Back. The induction process, like so many things, is on hold. Gronk has five first-team All-Pro appearances. Likely (70% to 99%): OT Jason Peters. 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. Future Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Gushes Over Giants' Kadarius Toney He's in line behind guys like Atkins unless the USC product continues to make Pro Bowls deep into his 30s. What will the Buffalo Bills do without defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier? Watt's last name and presence on a high-profile defense won't hurt. Interior OL | Edge In part, that has been driven by health; the only other wideout ranking in the top 100 for receiving yards who has played all 80 games over the past five seasons is Larry Fitzgerald. The list of players who have done that isn't long, as it consists of Lawrence Taylor, Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Patrick Willis, Aaron Donald and Martin. Rams' best draft class featured two Hall of Fame wide receivers - NFL Outside of that one year, though, he has three Pro Bowl nods, no first-team All-Pro spots and a 2-5 record in the postseason. Scouting reports | More draft coverage. Likely (70% to 99%): QB Russell Wilson, LB Bobby Wagner. He probably needs to keep that streak going for a couple more years or rack up another 15-sack campaign to move the needle to Likely. Rockets great and championship coach Rudy Tomjanovich was only inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. The 49ers' two-decade-plus string of Pro Bowl quarterbacks and near-two-decade run of employing an all-time receiving talent abruptly stopped in 2004. The 2010 No. With their city hosting the Final Four, the Cougars don't shy from national title talk. Once again, its wait til next year for Texans great Andre Johnson when it comes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 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. Assessing Browns' FA needs. Hall of Famers | NASCAR Hall of Fame After five consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns, I wonder whether Landry actually has a better shot of surpassing his friend and longtime teammate. In a normal universe, we would be celebrating the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 right about now. In the running (40% to 69%): CB Tre'Davious White. Mike Evans is on pace to be a Hall of Fame caliber wide receiver He looked to be firmly on a Hall trajectory at that point, but over the ensuing five seasons, he has just one Pro Bowl appearance. 1 with seven receiving touchdowns as well as 1,407 air yards and yards after the catch combined (perAirYards.com). 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. But given the relatively small number of modern-era inductees each year a minimum of three and maximum of five now is a good time to look at the ballot in upcoming years and notable players wholl become eligible for election and may impact Johnsons fate with voters. Watson has earned Pro Bowl nods in each of his first two full seasons as a starter, which is easier for quarterbacks than it is for most other positions. 1. If Murray breaks out in Year 2, he'll be on the fast track. There aren't any Dolphins who would appear to have greater than a 10% chance of making the Hall of Fame. We're in a pass-happy era, but Thomas has more receptions (470) and receiving yards (5,512) than any other players in league history through their first four seasons. 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. He has a stronger case than you think. Theyre easily first-ballot selections. Washington Commanders sign former Chiefs wide receiver/special teamer 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. Lewan has three Pro Bowls. Thomas now has three Pro Bowls and two first-team All-Pro nods in four years, and while there might be some sort of drop-off if Brees retires, the Ohio State product did just fine with Teddy Bridgewater on the field in 2019. The future of Tampa Bay's tight end room. Browns star left tackle Joe Thomas and Jets greats Joe . How many future Hall of Famers will play in Super Bowl 55? - WKYC Bell's case as a scheme- and personnel-transcendent back fell apart in an ugly 2019 season, with the former Steelers playmaker averaging just 3.2 yards per carry. Cooper has made four Pro Bowls in his first five seasons. A candidate must get 80 percent of the vote to be elected. Locks have a 100% chance of making it. While guys like Franco Harris and Champ Bailey managed to make it to the Hall with similar starts to their careers, standouts like Chris Hinton, Ricky Watters and Donovan McNabb have come up short without getting to that next level. The former Philadelphia Eagles great and St. Louis Rams star will become the 28th and 29th wide receivers to be honored with a place in Canton, OH. Ryan's case is trickier. 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. The Best Wide Receivers of AllTime. Williams made seven consecutive Pro Bowls before sitting out the 2019 season and forcing a trade to the 49ers. In the Super Bowl Era. Graham's case is interesting. Every NFL team's most likely future non-QB Hall of Fame inductee He has been phenomenal while winning one Super Bowl, and came within an interception of winning a second, but he has also never been considered the best quarterback in football or garnered a single MVP vote. He's ahead of guys like Von Miller, Dwight Freeney, Terrell Suggs and Bruce Smith, and while he played more games than all but Suggs, the fact that he was a productive pass-rusher from the jump as a 21-year-old is a positive. But history suggests that his on-field performance makes him a Hall of Fame lock. Work to do (10% to 39%): WR Adam Thielen, LB Anthony Barr. Greg Rajan is the senior editor for Texas Sports Nation, the Houston Chronicle's sports website, and also curates the daily TXSN newsletter and writes about sports media. Work to do (10% to 39%): OT Duane Brown. This site .css-110721q{color:#0079F0;}contains commercial content. Likely (70% to 99%): WR Michael Thomas. If Brown has a Whitworth-esque autumn to his career, he has a shot. While Pro Bowls and All-Pro awards are hardly gospel, they're the best measure we have of how league observers valued a particular player in his time. Should the Green Bay Packers Move On From Aaron Rodgers? Jimmy Smith's peak was among the best ever. Not knowing anything else about Burrow beyond where and when he was drafted, his Hall of Fame chances before starting his career come in by that small sample around 20%. In the running (40% to 69%): DE Chandler Jones. Last season, Thomas became the second wide receiver to win Offensive Player of the Year. You can't make the Hall of Fame while you're still in pads, but Mike Evans has been making his case over the past six seasons. Can Baker Mayfield's game be fixed? In the running (40% to 69%): DE Danielle Hunter, S Harrison Smith. In the running (40% to 69%): RB Christian McCaffrey. 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. For now, Tom Brady and J.J. Watt lead the list of this years retirees wholl be on the ballot in 2028. While Hunter's chances are probably somewhere in the 65% range, Smith is closer to the lower end of the spectrum in the 40% zone. Most importantly: This is my opinion of who is likely to get in given current rsums, not who belongs in. If he can stay healthy, he's probably going to retire in the top 10 for career passing yardage, but will that really be enough to get him in without more individual awards or team success? Harold Carmichael and Isaac Bruce will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August. Both players are on a streak, and their chances depend on keeping that streak going. Allen was named a Pro Bowler after racking up 10.5 sacks as a rookie. He was nearly a lock after making four Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro nods across his first five seasons, but injuries have cost Thomas 20 games over the subsequent four years. In the running (40% to 69%): WR Odell Beckham Jr., WR Jarvis Landry. The Hall site draws a distinction, interestingly, between wide receivers and ends. How Calvin Johnson compares to the Pro Football Hall of Fame WRs Julio or Hopkins: Who's the better bet to lead in receiving? If pro football did what hockey used to and waive the waiting period for the likes of Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, it could be argued Brady deserves the same treatment. He could roll off a string of these nods in the years to come. Lock (100%): TE Jason Witten. 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. All 259 picks | Every team's class Mathieu is a great player and just turned 28, so he still has plenty of time, but he probably needs four or five more Pro Bowl seasons or a DPOY victory to really get in the discussion. Itll be interesting to see if that stellar stretch is good enough to get him in Canton. 1 pick and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, but that hasn't historically been a helpful combination. Likely (70% to 99%): DT Geno Atkins. A healthy, available Garrett is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and could rise quickly. Work to do (10% to 39%): RB Melvin Gordon, DE Jurrell Casey. At the combine, he measured in at 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds and ran an impressive 4.53-second 40-yard dash. Likely (70% to 99%): WR DeAndre Hopkins, CB Patrick Peterson. The NFL's 2023 Hall of Fame Game will feature the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, the Hall announced Tuesday. Hekker got a two-season head start, but he has been a first-team All-Pro four times before turning 30 in February. Martin, who also turns 30 during the season, might not even need another nod. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, September 1st at: www.radiohalloffame.com. Aaron Rodgers has had a lack of weapons on the Green Bay Packers CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND In the running (40% to 69%): RB Saquon Barkley. Tom Fears, WR, UCLA, 11th round, 103rd overall: One issue: Five of those six are running backs, with Randy Moss as the only exception. Work to do (10% to 39%): TE George Kittle, DE Nick Bosa. Future Hall of Fame wide receiver hosted as guest speaker this - Yahoo! Work to do (10% to 39%): WR Julian Edelman, LB Dont'a Hightower, S Devin McCourty. On Saturday night, Eagles star Harold Carmichael and Rams star Isaac Bruce were inducted as part of a . Za'Darius Smith might have been the best pass-rusher in the league last season and has been great over the past two years on a snap-by-snap basis, but he turns 28 in September. Given his style, I worry about his aging curve versus that of tight ends who are basically glorified wide receivers. But history tells us that's a lot to ask. Although the Texans struggled through much of his career with the team, the franchise and fans always knew they could rely on him for stellar numbers. Guy earned six Pro Bowl nominations and three All-Pro picks before turning 30. A portion of ticket purchases is a tax-deductible charitable donation to the Museum . Manning won two Super Bowls with the Giants, winning MVP both times. Former Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly, ex-Giants quarterback Eli Manning, ex-Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs and longtime Patriots/Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri are the notables on the 2025 ballot. 260 players who could win MVP Edelman has never made a Pro Bowl, but the only . (1:43), Barnwell: Projecting future Hall of Famers for all 32 NFL teams, The future of the NFL combine: Is there really a chance it could end forever? Allen will have a tougher time (presumably) without Yannick Ngakoue or Calais Campbell around in 2020, but he's off to a great start. Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor. David has been supremely underrated during his career, but after earning a first-team All-Pro nod in 2013, he has made it to a lone Pro Bowl over the ensuing six seasons. 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. 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. Guy got some help because the Raiders drafted him with their first-round pick, while Hekker gets extra attention because of his propensity for fakes. Andre Johnson: What future Hall of Fame ballots look like Kittle is the best all-around tight end in football right now, and if you could tell me this minute that he would have a 12-year career, I'd expect him to be a Hall of Famer. Kiper's draft grades for every team He led that sports section to three Associated Press Sports Editors top-10 national awards and his work has been honored by APSE and the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors. He deserves it. 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.