Jones is likely to top 13,000 receiving yards and earn his eighth Pro Bowl nod this season, which should be enough to seal things for the superstar wideout. And thanks to coach Kelvin Sampson and the assistants he Solomon: DeMeco Ryans the right coach at the right time, 3 pressing questions facing new Astros GM Dana Brown, Jabari Smith Jr. growing up in NBA with an assist from his father, Poor parent behavior is driving high school sports refs away. He has stayed healthy and productive, so that hasn't been the issue. Sensing that many people might disagree with me, I decided to post a poll on Twitter. Quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald are the two prominent ballot newcomers. 8/16/2011. Guy made only one Pro Bowl after turning 30, and Hekker probably needs a couple more All-Pro appearances to earn serious consideration. Complicating things for Johnson is the logjam of candidates at his position. If you need something more, Fitzgerald's 2008 playoff run is probably the best postseason from any receiver in league history. 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. Let's see whether we can get a sense of who those 50 are right now: Jump to a team: It might seem surprising to put Hill this high, but he has made it to four Pro Bowls and been a first-team All-Pro twice across his first four seasons. Of the 27 Hall-eligible players who have pulled that off, 14 are enshrined. Williams needs a couple of high-profile seasons as the best left tackle in football, which is tough with Tyron Smith around. He might not make it on the first ballot, but he should make it eventually. 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. Jalen and Reggie Wayne connected while he was in college, and his uncle has helped him every step of the way since. Rent the Hall. Lock (100%): QB Drew Brees. Likely (70% to 99%): WR DeAndre Hopkins, CB Patrick Peterson. Campbell, who turns 34 next month, is probably going to miss out, which is a shame given how good he has been. 1 with seven receiving touchdowns as well as 1,407 air yards and yards after the catch combined (perAirYards.com). Work to do (10% to 39%): WR Julian Edelman, LB Dont'a Hightower, S Devin McCourty. 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. One more nomination should get Smith in. The closest comp is Ken Anderson, who had a similar peak and won an MVP award but didn't last quite as long and hasn't been able to get in. Work to do (10% to 39%): RB Mark Ingram, OT Ronnie Stanley, DE Calais Campbell. 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. Newton has an MVP award, which goes a long way toward pushing any player into the Hall of Fame. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event. March 25, 2020 9:36 pm ET. Hes top-10 in passing yards and touchdowns, so hell get a gold jacket at some point, if not on the first ballot. Work to do (10% to 39%): QB Carson Wentz, TE Zach Ertz, CB Darius Slay. Only two full-time kickers Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen are in the Hall of Fame, but it would be hard to see Vinatieri shut out given his accomplishments. At the combine, he measured in at 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds and ran an impressive 4.53-second 40-yard dash. 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. He previously worked as the sports editor at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. 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. Longtime teammate Jeff Bagwell, meanwhile, had to wait until his seventh year on the ballot before gaining enshrinement to Cooperstown. He has made four Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2012, but there are just too many offensive linemen with more impressive rsums who have struggled to get in for Brown to have much of a chance. 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 one of Coach Saban's press conferences, he spoke about some of the questions asked by the players to . Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. People in favor of him will point to his stats, which are clearly better than those of Eli Manning, but that ignores the point; Manning isn't getting into the Hall because of his regular-season stats. He played 16 seasons, but never led the league in any notable statistical category other than interceptions. He was on the All-2000s team, a three-time first team All-Pro and made eight Pro Bowls. 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. These NFL wide receivers do not count toward our list of 10 worthy Hall of Famers. As a result, I would expect him to make it to the Hall someday. He ranks seventh all-time in receiving touchdowns (116), 30th in yards (11,841) and 17th in receptions (955). All rights reserved. Edelman has never made a Pro Bowl, but the only player with more receiving yards in the playoffs is Jerry Rice. Players the Jaguars could target Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. AP Photo/Harold Filan. It's tough to rack up interceptions in the modern NFL, but Peters has 27 since entering the league, nine more than any other player. He has made five consecutive Pro Bowls and has three first-team All-Pro nods to go with his Defensive Player of the Year trophy from 2016. It's not too late to play with friends and family. If Murray breaks out in Year 2, he'll be on the fast track. For a list of other positions, click here. Lock (100%): TE Jason Witten. 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. Draft a league now and start fresh with a 0-0 record and a shortened schedule. White got his just due last season and was named a first-team All-Pro while tying for the league lead in interceptions (six). Panthers impressed by Derek Carr visit Since 1950, 12 players have won two or more rushing titles. The Bucs already have the best receiver duo in the NFL in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and the addition of a player like Brown in his prime would make this unit completely unfair. 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. So maybe the best thing for Johnson and Texans fans is to be patient. Art Monk<br>1980-1995. His 2016 season was one of the most impressive years we've ever seen from a quarterback, as he dominated during the regular season and won league MVP. Likely (70% to 99%): QB Matt Ryan, WR Julio Jones. While James is closer to the 69% end of the spectrum here, Bosa's more toward 40%. Hekker's case is interesting. Work to do (10% to 39%): OT Duane Brown. Let's run team-by-team and try to estimate each notable player's chances of making it to the Hall of Fame given his current rsum. The star inside linebacker made his first Pro Bowl last season, which is incredible given that it was his age-21 season. 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. Mosley's case, meanwhile, has stalled in New York. 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. We don't talk enough about Hunter, who only has two Pro Bowl nods over his first five seasons. If Evans goes his entire career without gaining widespread notoriety or making a memorable run in the playoffs even if he has a long and steadily productive career and is regarded as one of the top receivers of his generation his chances to make the Hall of Fame will be materially diminished. What will define Eric Bieniemy's success? He shared a receivers room with four Hall-of-Famers and caught balls from a pair of Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner while playing in eight post-season games . Unless he really hangs on into his 40s, he'll finish as the second-most-productive tight end in history, behind Tony Gonzalez. A candidate must get 80 percent of the vote to be elected. Typically, there are between 45 and 50 Hall of Famers playing at any one time. In other words, instead of trying to project their chances by guessing what they'll do in the future, I'm looking at what they've done so far, comparing them to players at similar points in their careers, and seeing how often players with those sorts of careers made it into the Hall of Fame. 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. 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. With the onset of COVID, the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year moved its annual board-of-selectors meeting from an in-person session the day before the Super Bowl to a virtual communication . Bosa's case is trickier, in part because he missed four games in 2016 and nine games in 2018 with injuries. 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. Heres the top 10 in NFL and AFL history in receiving yardage through 85 games. If McCaffrey can piece together even two more seasons at his 2019 level and add two or three more like his 2018 campaign, that might be enough to make it to the Hall of Fame. A big individual season and a few MVP votes in 2020 would be enough to push him into the next category. Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor. The 2010 No. Beasley won a sack title. I think Patrick Willis is going to make it in after an eight-year career in which he racked up seven Pro Bowl appearances and five first-team All-Pro nods and retired as he turned 30. Just play along. Hes No. 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. He made only two Pro Bowls with the Cardinals, which was a farce. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. Future Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Gushes Over Giants' Kadarius Toney 123 Shares By Vinny Somma Updated Apr 30, 2021 at 1:11pm Getty Kadarius Toney #1 of the Florida Gators reacts after. The first game of the 2023 NFL calendar is . The NFL's 2023 Hall of Fame Game will feature the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, the Hall announced Tuesday. 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. 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. He also came up with an interception while winning his first Super Bowl, which helps his case. In the running (40% to 69%): C Jason Kelce, DT Fletcher Cox. Manning won two Super Bowls with the Giants, winning MVP both times. 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. Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch, future Hall of Fame wide receiver, led the best draft class in Rams history in 1945. Lock (100%): DT Aaron Donald. Find out more. Rockets great and championship coach Rudy Tomjanovich was only inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. Leonard, with one All-Pro spot and a Pro Bowl appearance last year, is right behind. The shrine in Canton, Ohio, is one that hasnt been easy to gain membership in through the years. XFL Week 3 preview: Can AJ McCarron, Battlehawks continue their fourth-quarter heroics? Orlovsky sounds off on Wentz not making top 100 list. 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. Work to do (10% to 39%): WR T.Y. Texans great Andre Johnson fell short of election to the Hall of Fame again this year in his second time as a modern-era finalist. Elliott should be a prohibitive favorite to get in. Lock (100%): RB Adrian 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. Future Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, though, has a different team in mind for Rodgers. Likely (70% to 99%): RB Ezekiel Elliott, G Zack Martin, OT Tyron Smith. Williams made seven consecutive Pro Bowls before sitting out the 2019 season and forcing a trade to the 49ers. An interesting case could be made for Frank Gore, who is third all-time in rushing with 16,000 yards in a 16-season career with five teams, but tied for 19th in touchdowns with 81. As I mentioned with Prescott, Barkley's Offensive Rookie of the Year nod gets him in this category alone. Harold Carmichael and Isaac Bruce will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August. 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. In fact, a future Hall of Fame wide receiver recently revealed that Rodgers tried to recruit him over to the Packers. Charley Taylor. The best trade Andy Reid ever made was moving up in the draft for Mahomes in 2017. In the running (40% to 69%): WR A.J. In the running (40% to 69%): CB Jalen Ramsey. Wait, Joe Burrow? When a group consists of you and Jerry Rice, you've done something right. Gore is the football equivalent of somebody like MLB outfielder Jim Rice as a compiler who plays a position the electorate loves. 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. 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. Podcast: Stat superlatives The left tackle has seven Pro Bowls and two All-Pro nods before turning 30. One issue: Five of those six are running backs, with Randy Moss as the only exception. 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. Matthew Freedman poses and answers the burning question about Evans' future Hall of Fame chances. Both players are on a streak, and their chances depend on keeping that streak going. But history suggests that his on-field performance makes him a Hall of Fame lock. Lock (100%): QB Ben Roethlisberger. 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. Making sense of Mahomes' deal Browns star left tackle Joe Thomas and Jets greats Joe . Whether Johnson will be there to welcome Watt into the Hall of Fame will be interesting. Work to do (10% to 39%): QB Jared Goff, OT Andrew Whitworth, P Johnny Hekker. Jimmy Smith's peak was among the best ever. Inside linebackers generally need to become Defensive Player of the Year candidates and earn multiple first-team All-Pro appearances to get serious consideration for Canton, but Edmunds is off to a great start. Lock (100%): QB Patrick Mahomes. Evans was a big-time NFL prospect. Work to do (10% to 39%): QB Baker Mayfield, DE Myles Garrett. 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. Unless he turns things around dramatically this season, he would fall out of the "Work to do" category altogether. Hightower has made huge plays in two Super Bowls, having stuffed Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line and strip-sacked Matt Ryan, but he has rarely gotten the regular-season attention he deserves. All but. 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. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. No promotions available. 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 Week 9, he led the league with 180 yards receiving, and for the year, hes No. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. He probably needs two more All-Pro seasons to finalize his case. Everyone but Hill is either a lock or extremely likely to make it in. In the running (40% to 69%): QB Dak Prescott, WR Amari Cooper. . 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 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. 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. Joe Fortenbaugh breaks down why Julio Jones is the safer bet over DeAndre Hopkins to lead the league in receiving yards. He needs to have a second act and have another selling point -- either winning a Super Bowl, competing for another MVP award or making it to a handful of Pro Bowls -- to have a viable path to a gold jacket. 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. Collins was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2016 and has three Pro Bowls across his first five seasons. There are another 11 players who aren't yet Hall-eligible, and five of them are locks to do the same. If Wagner makes it to another Pro Bowl or two, I don't think Willis' status will matter. 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. Donald clinched his gold jacket when he won his second Defensive Player of the Year award. 1 min read. McShay's favorite pick for all 32 teams This site .css-110721q{color:#0079F0;}contains commercial content. I've split players into four groups. 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. Okudah's presence owes to his draft status as the No.