We still have no idea how Thomas will perform, but if we look back through history, four of the 32 offensive linemen since 1970 who were drafted with a top-five pick have made it to the Hall of Fame. Tom Fears, WR, UCLA, 11th round, 103rd overall: To use an example, I don't think Eli Manning has the rsum of a Hall of Fame quarterback, but history tells us that most quarterbacks who win two Super Bowls typically get in. He's the second-most productive receiver in football history. Sherman has a strong case as the best cornerback of the decade and was an essential piece of what was likely the best defense of the decade. Work to do (10% to 39%): S Tyrann Mathieu. Of all the young receivers, Moss is the only one to accomplish more through the first five seasons of his career. After missing the postseason for the first time in four years, the Green Bay Packers will now spend their offseason with one topic at the forefront of their internal conversations: the future of Aaron Rodgers. If the Falcons had held on to their lead and won the Super Bowl, Ryan would have won game MVP, and his 2016 probably would have been enough for a gold jacket. Jarrett made his first Pro Bowl last season, but his disruptiveness hasn't yet led to a gaudy sack total, which is what you need to get in as a defensive lineman. New Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters is excited about his new We don't talk enough about Hunter, who only has two Pro Bowl nods over his first five seasons. Find out more. (1:43). Draft a league now and start fresh with a 0-0 record and a shortened schedule. After five consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns, I wonder whether Landry actually has a better shot of surpassing his friend and longtime teammate. If he can follow in Patrick Mahomes' footsteps and win a Super Bowl this year, Jackson will have an impeccable rsum to start his career. He has a stronger case than you think. 7 overall in the 2014 draft at the age of 20. 3 pick. Bosa's case is trickier, in part because he missed four games in 2016 and nine games in 2018 with injuries. Podcast: Stat superlatives Buccaneers: Antonio Brown back in Hall of Fame form in 2021 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. He started his career with seven Pro Bowls in seven seasons, which is rarefied air. More on the Ring of Honor found on the team website. To contrast with a Hall of Famer, Derrick Brooks had six Pro Bowls and three All-Pro appearances by this point. 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. The Saints have the best tackle combination in football, but Armstead went underappreciated before picking up steam over the past couple of years and Ramczyk raised his game in 2019. 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. Aaron Rodgers Tried Recruiting a Future Hall of Fame Wide Receiver To Panthers impressed by Derek Carr visit Unlike Gurley, McCaffrey didn't win Offensive Player of the Year or make a deep playoff run. Ngakoue has deserved more attention and might get it in a new locale if the Jaguars honor his request and trade the 25-year-old before the season begins. His time may come, but maybe not for a while. Hes too similar to other Hall-of-Famers and future Hall-of-Famers not to be taken seriously. As a result, I would expect him to make it to the Hall someday. Gore had the misfortune of playing for some bad San Francisco and Indianapolis teams, but his numbers are certainly impressive. Timing can matter for players, and it has been weird for Suh. But playing on so many bad Eagles teams delayed his entry into the Hall of Fame. Beasley won a sack title. The future of Tampa Bay's tight end room. Locks have a 100% chance of making it. That's just about a magic formula for getting into the Hall. Andre Johnson: What future Hall of Fame ballots look like He just turned 26 in August. Instead, legendary players and coaches like Troy Polamalu and Jimmy Johnson will wait until next year to give their speeches in Canton, Ohio. Smith needs a similar sort of run over the next few years to have a shot. He played 16 seasons, but never led the league in any notable statistical category other than interceptions. Future Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Gushes Over Giants' Kadarius Toney Julio or Hopkins: Who's the better bet to lead in receiving? March 25, 2020 9:36 pm ET. Byard was a first-team All-Pro in 2017 when he led the league with eight picks, but despite playing at an upper-echelon level over the ensuing two seasons, he hasn't received the same consideration. He should have a very strong case for election. 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. Work to do (10% to 39%): WR T.Y. As a result, I'll mention them often, especially when looking at players who don't touch the ball frequently. There could still be a season in which Mike Zimmer needs to use Barr as an edge rusher and he ends up with 10 sacks, but that's not going to be enough. The only wide receiver from Carmichael's era who had more TD catches was Paul Warfield, who had 85. Hester was a (great) returner, which typically doesn't inspire the same sort of fervor as other All-Pro nods, while Jackson actually started with three consecutive All-Pro nods before dropping off and retiring after nine years. Green. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Returning to form and earning a seventh Pro Bowl nod in his first season with the Ravens got Thomas back on track. 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. 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. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Theyre easily first-ballot selections. In the running (40% to 69%): S Eddie Jackson. In the running (40% to 69%): RB Todd Gurley. 1. Ranking the top outlier contracts The Best Wide Receivers of All-Time - Future Football Legends How Relationship With Reggie Wayne Is Helping South Alabama WR Jalen Contemporaries Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne also made the finalists cut from 15 to 10 with Johnson, but likewise didnt gain election. I think Rivers probably gets in, but it might take a while. Lock (100%): TE Jason Witten. 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. 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. Football Insiders with Trey Wingo. I think Thomas is a prohibitive favorite to get in. Work to do (10% to 39%): DE DeMarcus Lawrence, DT Gerald McCoy, LB Leighton Vander Esch. He has eight Pro Bowl appearances, but he has never been a first-team All-Pro, never really been a viable pick as the best quarterback in football and has a total of four MVP votes across 14 seasons as a starter. 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. Elliott has already won two rushing titles across his first four seasons, and that might be enough on its own. Brees could have retired five years ago and comfortably made the Hall of Fame. Often, I'm making an educated guess as to what would get a player in by looking at which accomplishments and plaudits matter more to voters. Likely (70% to 99%): WR DeAndre Hopkins, CB Patrick Peterson. Ingram wasn't very good for extended stretches of time until his fourth season in the league in New Orleans, and while he has made three Pro Bowls since, he hasn't had a top-five season in terms of production or won a Super Bowl. Gronk has five first-team All-Pro appearances. The Hall site draws a distinction, interestingly, between wide receivers and ends. 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. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. In related news, the Cowboys also have a running back likely bound for the Hall. The Hall is forgiving of running backs, and Bell's versatility should age well, but he has missed a lot of time through injuries, suspensions and his 2018 holdout. That wide receiver is Detroit Lions great Calvin Johnson. NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF Unless he turns things around dramatically this season, he would fall out of the "Work to do" category altogether. Browns, Jets to open 2023 NFL preseason in Hall of Fame Game Work to do (10% to 39%): TE Jimmy Graham, CB Kyle Fuller. With five consecutive first-team All-Pro appearances, he could retire tomorrow and get in without any questions. These three Pats legends are more likely to land in the Hall of Very Good. Only Campbell is in the Hall of Fame. Not all elite prospects turn into Hall-of-Famers, but given Evans draft capital, physical profile and college production, its reasonable to say that what hes done in the NFL hasnt been a random fluke. Hall of Famer predicts controversial team for Rodgers. The former Ozen High star and 14-year NBA vet has more on his mind than basketball, offering essays on life, his family and America. 19 Won't: Maurice Jones-Drew Work to do (10% to 39%): QB Baker Mayfield, DE Myles Garrett. 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. Is Gore a lock to get into the Hall of Fame? Jalen and Reggie Wayne connected while he was in college, and his uncle has helped him every step of the way since. In the running (40% to 69%): DE Chandler Jones. Lock (100%): LB Von Miller. Six players have done that since the merger: Murray, Cam Newton, Sam Bradford, George Rogers, Billy Sims and Earl Campbell. A score of 100 is around the average modern-era inductee. Over that five-year span, Landry ranks third in the NFL in catches and seventh in receiving yards. Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens are two of the greatest players to ever catch a football, ranking first and second, respectively, in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in NFL history. In the running (40% to 69%): DE Josh Allen. So maybe the best thing for Johnson and Texans fans is to be patient. If Wagner makes it to another Pro Bowl or two, I don't think Willis' status will matter. Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor. Evans was a big-time NFL prospect. Graham has five Pro Bowls to his name, but I don't think he has done enough to earn a gold jacket. He's an easy Hall of Famer. Lock (100%): WR Larry Fitzgerald. He also has worked at the Austin American-Statesman and Temple Daily Telegram. McCardell and Smith dubbed "Thunder . 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. 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. Eagles fans will be furious, but the reality is that Wentz has made one Pro Bowl and hasn't won a playoff game or led the league in a major statistical category (outside of fumbles) during his first four seasons. Since 1970, 55 players who are eligible for Canton have hit that 8+2 mark, and 52 of them earned enshrinement. Randy Moss. On the latest episode of the Let's Go! 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. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. The Ring of Honor recognizes Vikings legends for their contributions to the success of the team on and off the field. 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. 10 Hall of Fame-Worthy NFL Wide Receivers (not named Julian Edelman) Given the ages of Gilmore and Patrick Peterson, Ramsey is neck-and-neck with White and Marshon Lattimore as the likely best cornerback in football over the next five years. All 259 picks | Every team's class Itll be interesting to see if his postseason prowess carries him, as it arguably did Lynn Swann in his eventual election. 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. Troy Aikman, John Elway and Roger Staubach won multiple Super Bowls. Rodgers inked a three-year, $150 million extension with the Packers last March, but reports . A big individual season and a few MVP votes in 2020 would be enough to push him into the next category. 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. He was a Pro Bowler in 2017 and has 37.5 sacks over his first four pro seasons, but he was overshadowed a bit by Campbell over that time frame. For now, Tom Brady and J.J. Watt lead the list of this years retirees wholl be on the ballot in 2028. Cox has made five consecutive Pro Bowls, although only one of those seasons resulted in a first-team All-Pro nod. Mike Evans is on pace to be a Hall of Fame caliber wide receiver. The NFL's 53 Most Likely Future Hall of Fame Players They both need multiple All-Pro seasons before they can rise up the ranks. Matthew Freedman poses and answers the burning question about Evans' future Hall of Fame chances. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. 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. In the running (40% to 69%): DE Joey Bosa, S Derwin James. I polled my Twitter followers and found that 42.6% of voters thought Rivers was a Hall of Famer. Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame monitor ranks Edelman 110th among wide receivers, and that gives him credit for winning three Super Bowls. Of the seven players eligible for the Hall of Fame who made it to the Pro Bowl in their age-21 campaign, six are in the Hall. The only exceptions are a pair of interior offensive linemen (Alan Faneca and Steve Wisniewski) and safety John Lynch. Work to do (10% to 39%): QB Joe Burrow. Likely (70% to 99%): WR Michael Thomas. Even if he slows down from here on out, Miller's going to the Hall. Since there have been only 346 people elected to the Hall of Fame (some of whom aren't even players), we don't always have great measures or estimates for what players at each given position have to do to make it. We all know what he's capable of, but he needs to put together a first-team All-Pro or Defensive Player of the Year-level campaign soon. Syndication Packersnews Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Mosley needs to be recognized as the best inside linebacker in the game at least a couple of times; after missing virtually all of 2019 with a groin injury, he has opted out of the 2020 season over concerns for his family's health. Mosley's case, meanwhile, has stalled in New York. 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. Smith-Schuster had a down 2019 season amid injuries and terrible quarterback play; he should bounce back to his 1,426-yard form from 2018. Work to do (10% to 39%): TE George Kittle, DE Nick Bosa. Ten of those 12 are in the Hall -- Elliott and Adrian Peterson are the other two. 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. Vander Esch's chances are stronger than his fellow linebacker because he was a first-round pick and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, while Smith was a second-round pick and didn't make it until his third campaign. Winning an MVP in Year 2 obviously leaps Jackson into consideration on its own, but it doesn't seal it. While the wide receiver logjam is a disaster for Hall of Fame voters, Moss should present a no-brainer case one day as a first-ballot choice. Also, if a guy enters the league at a young age, he could theoretically have a longer NFL career, which would give him more time in the second half (or post-peak portion) of his career to put up the accumulation stats often needed to bolster a Hall-of-Fame case. He is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University and Bowie High School in Austin. Pro Football Hall of Fame Hall of Fame Village. But as a running back who has been above average or good seemingly forever, he's getting in. Rams' best draft class featured two Hall of Fame wide receivers - Los 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. Finish reading this entire article absolutely FREE in our app. Last season, Thomas became the second wide receiver to win Offensive Player of the Year. Seymour has a better rsum and more Super Bowl rings and hasn't made it in, but he peaked earlier in his career; if Campbell can stay productive and win a ring or two with the Ravens, it might push him into more significant consideration. Both are among the all-time leaders in every notable stat at their positions. Author: Nate Greer. Lock (100%): QB Drew Brees. In a normal universe, we would be celebrating the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 right about now. Ten years after he retires, we're more likely to look at his two first-team All-Pro nods and forget those times he guessed wrong and gave up touchdowns with the Chiefs and Rams. While James is closer to the 69% end of the spectrum here, Bosa's more toward 40%. Bakhtiari, likewise, is blocked by Tyron Smith. How many future Hall of Famers will play in Super Bowl 55? - WKYC Evans and Godwin might end up hurting each other's chances by preventing the other from getting a 185-target season like the one Michael Thomas enjoyed in 2019. Tight ends have relatively short careers, which makes projecting their Hall chances exceedingly difficult. Of the 27 Hall-eligible players who have pulled that off, 14 are enshrined. Exhibits Interactive Experiences Gear Shop Pit Stop Caf Accessibility Champ the Cheetah. In the running (40% to 69%): RB Saquon Barkley. At the same time, no tight end in history has more than four 1,000-yard seasons over their respective careers, and Kelce has just run off four consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns. The others are Moss, Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper. Will OBJ defy his long-shot odds to lead NFL in receiving yards? Everyone but Hill is either a lock or extremely likely to make it in. He doesn't need that sort of individual production to make it to the Hall of Fame, but the guys who made it in without a single first-team All-Pro appearance needed something else. 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. Heres what you need to know. Rockets great and championship coach Rudy Tomjanovich was only inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. Longtime teammate Jeff Bagwell, meanwhile, had to wait until his seventh year on the ballot before gaining enshrinement to Cooperstown. Brown was arguably the NFLs best receiver from 2013-18 in Pittsburgh, but wasnt the same player after he left the Steelers. 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. Get started >>. Watt's last name and presence on a high-profile defense won't hurt. Likely (60% to 99%): RB Frank Gore. 1 min read. Most Approximate Value (AV) in a receiver's best sets of five and seven consecutive seasons, 1960-2019. Should the Green Bay Packers Move On From Aaron Rodgers? What happens next is critical for Gurley, who would have seemed on the road to Canton after taking home Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2015 and adding an Offensive Player of the Year award two years later.