Arizona Cardinals — J.J. Watt
Career Highlights: 3x Defensive Player of the Year, 5x All-Pro, 5x Pro Bowl, All-2010s Team
In a word, dominant. Watt was an elite player the minute he graduated from Wisconsin and entered the NFL. We’ve seen him cultivate a physique via videos in the woods where he’s tossing around massive logs as if they were chopsticks. Truly ‘country strong’ in the best sense of the term, Watt would routinely shuck offensive linemen around akin to throwing a decorative pillow off your bed. He possessed immensely quick hands, a wicked punch, and the bend to get around the edge. While a plethora of injuries have slowed him in the last few years, the four-year prime he enjoyed from 2012-15 (where he notched a combined 69.0 sacks) is as impressive a stretch as we’ve ever seen.
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Atlanta Falcons — A.J. Terrell
Career Highlights: Four INTs, Four forced fumbles, 16th pick in 2020 NFL Draft
We’re a bit stretched on this one. Simply put — as currently constituted — there’s really no future Hall of Famer we can unequivocally point to currently on the Falcons’ roster. Kyle Pitts could get there one day, but he’s played only one year of professional football. IF we had to pick one guy, we landed with Terrell. He was a former first-round pick with some noteworthy ball skills on the back end. Still, we don’t necessarily feel great about his chances at ending up in Canton.
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Baltimore Ravens — Justin Tucker
Career Highlights: 5x All-Pro, 5x Pro Bowl, 91.1% career field goal
There are three absolutes in this world: Death, taxes, and Justin Tucker kicking the crap out of footballs. The iconic Baltimore Ravens placekicker is the best of all-time — and that’s not an exaggeration to say. We’ve never seen someone possess Tucker’s accuracy to go along with arguably the strongest leg in the history of the NFL. He’s just been as close to automatic as you could be given the pressure surrounding the position. There’s no reason to think he won’t continue performing at this all-league level.
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Buffalo Bills — Von Miller
Career Highlights: 3x All-Pro, 8x Pro Bowl, 2x Super Bowl winner, SB 50 MVP, 2011 Defensive Player of the Year
Send him to Canton! Over the last decade, the former Texas A&M star has been terrorizing opposing offenses as a one-man wrecking crew off the edge (primarily for the Broncos and briefly for the Rams). Miller’s first step is legendary — as are his instincts in getting to the quarterback. Now with Buffalo as a veteran, the hope for Bills Mafia is that he’ll give the unit a bit of a jolt despite being on the back-half of his career. We would never count Miller out considering his pedigree and level of experience.
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Carolina Panthers — Christian McCaffrey
Career Highlights: 1x All-Pro, 3587 rushing yards, 30 TD, 357 receptions, 3015 yards, 17 TD
The dynamic playmaker out of Stanford has proven — when healthy — to be the real deal. Carolina has the benefit in lining him up all over the field, whether as a running back, a slot receiver, or even a perimeter pass-catching option. McCaffrey’s versatility is accentuated by his suddenness. There’s zero wasted motion when McCaffrey begins to accelerate. He’s also far stronger than people assume him to be despite being roughly 5-feet-11 and 200 pounds. Assuming he can stay on the field, a spot in Canton is feasible for McCaffrey.
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Chicago Bears — Roquan Smith
Career Highlights: 524 tackles, 14 sacks, 5 INTs, 43 TFLs, 1 TD
The tackling machine out of Georgia embodies the toughness exuded by the city of Chicago. Duly, the traditional defensive mindset of the franchise pairs perfectly with Smith’s style of play. He’s a thumper — and won’t be afraid to stick his helmet in a running back’s ear hole when crashing towards the line of scrimmage (we’re talking legally, of course…not akin to a Vontaze Burfict blow). Though Chicago is in a rebuild, Smith is a perfect building block to sculpt a defense around. He’s probably the best linebacker in the Windy City dating back to Lance Briggs.
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Cincinnati Bengals — Joe Burrow
Career Highlights: No. 1 pick 2020 NFL Draft, 2021 Comeback Player of the Year, 7299 passing yards, 47 TD
Boy, did that transfer to LSU pan out. Burrow (or should we call him Burreaux?) went from being a career back-up to the most prolific QB in college football. In the process, he was the No. 1 overall pick. He then led the Bengals — yes, the Bengals — to the Super Bowl (where Cincinnati could’ve easily won). Burrow has the “it” factor many quarterbacks lack. It’s a quiet confidence radiating from himself to all of his teammates. The physical profile is there, yet it’s the moxie he brings to the table which makes him so special. Whenever Burrow is healthy and competing on the field, you’ve always got a puncher’s chance to win any ballgame.
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Cleveland Browns — Myles Garrett
Career Highlights: 2x All-Pro, 3x Pro Bowl, 58.5 sacks
As he approaches his 27th birthday, Garrett still has yet to hit his ultimate ceiling as a pass-rushing dynamo. He has world class athleticism — and often solely relied upon it in college. In the pros, Garrett needed to become a more complete player, and that’s exactly what he’s become. The scary thing is that he can still stand to improve upon some of technique. It’s a scary proposition to think about considering he’s on pace for 100 career sacks by the time he’s roughly the age of 30. There’s plenty of elite football left for Garrett in what will be an illustrious career.
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Dallas Cowboys — Zack Martin
Career Highlights: 5x All-Pro, 7x Pro Bowl, All-2010s Team
Martin will be a Hall of Famer one day. He’s neck-and-neck with Quenton Nelson as being the top interior offensive linemen in the National Football League. Martin has been widely consistent — making seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams in eight seasons. In fact, when looking across this list rather thoroughly, Martin is probably one of the biggest slam dunk entries into Canton. He could retire tomorrow and still make the Hall of Fame (though Dallas fans certainly don’t want that to happen).
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Denver Broncos — Russell Wilson
Career Highlights: 9x Pro Bowl, 1x Super Bowl winner, 37,059 passing yards, 292 TD, 4689 rushing yards, 23 TD
Talk about getting the most out of your ability. The generously listed 5-foot-10 quarterback wasn’t the ideal NFL draft prospect. He’s very short for the position, rather chunky for the position, and played baseball on the side (which people theorized would take away from his ability as a signal-caller). All that did was motivate Wilson into becoming a generational talent for the Seahawks. Wilson is built like a tank, is as tough as a tank, and can fling the football downfield like a tank. From there, the resume speaks for itself.
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Detroit Lions — Frank Ragnow
Career Highlights: 1x Pro Bowl, No. 20 pick in 2018 NFL Draft
Ragnow is as tough as nails. You have to be as an interior offensive lineman raised in Minnesota and prepped in the SEC (at run-heavy Arkansas under OL guru Bret Bielema). The 26-year-old routinely grades out as among the better centers in the league. He’s heady, quick, and quite violent with his hand placement. There’s still a ways to go before he’s Canton-bound. Ragnow has to start racking up some All-Pro honors. With that said, the talent is there to really develop into a big-time player.
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Green Bay Packers — Aaron Rodgers
Career Highlights: 4x MVP, 4x All-Pro, 10x Pro Bowl, 1x Super Bowl winner, SB XLV MVP, All-2010s Team, 55,360 passing yards, 449 TD, 93 INT
You could quibble about the singular Super Bowl win. You could even poke fun at his quirky personality. With all of that said, the California native is a top-five QB of all-time. The ball flies out of Rodgers’ hand with ridiculous power. He’s able to manipulate the spin and direction of any throw with a simple flicking of the wrist. He’s one of the few where every throw on the field can actually be made with not only precision, but most impressively force. Simply put, Rodgers will go down as an all-time great.
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Houston Texans — Laremy Tunsil
Career Highlights: 2x Pro Bowl, No. 13 pick in 2016 NFL Draft
Tunsil falls into the category of a guy we ‘project’ to one day potentially be a member of the Hall of Fame in Canton. After a somewhat rocky beginning to his career off the field, he’s bounced back nicely. In the process, he’s reminded everyone why he was such a highly-rated OL in the process. Tunsil is as physically gifted as any tackle not named Trent Williams or Tristan Wirfs. At only 27 years of age, there’s plenty of time for him to rack up the Pro Bowl appearances (even for a rebuilding franchise in Houston).
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Indianapolis Colts — Matt Ryan
Career Highlights: 1x MVP, 1x All-Pro, 4x Pro Bowl, 59,735 passing yards, 367 TD
Matty Ice will go into the Hall of Fame representing the Falcons — even if he’s currently the starting signal-caller for the Colts. The vast majority of both his career and prime was spent in Atlanta. Though the elusive Super Bowl ring is still out there, Ryan’s put together a very nice career. Even though he was selected high in the first round over a decade ago, people still questioned his pedigree coming out of Boston College. He proved all of the doubters wrong — utilizing an above-average arm, a high football I.Q., and very good precision with his throws.
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Jacksonville Jaguars — Brandon Scherff
Career Highlights: 1x All-Pro, 5x Pro Bowl, No. 5 pick in 2015 NFL Draft
Scherff came into the league as a highly-touted interior lineman from the OL football factory that is Iowa. In what’s been a seven-year professional career up to this point, he’s made the Pro Bowl on five separate occasion (including one All-Pro honor). He doesn’t get a ton of appreciation — partly because of the position he plays, and also due to the fact he’s played in two smaller markets. Still, Scherff is tough as nails, and likely has a few more Pro Bowl appearances left to earn.
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Kansas City Chiefs — Patrick Mahomes
Career Highlights: 1x MVP, 1x All-Pro, 1x Super Bowl winner, SB LIV MVP, 18,991 passing yards, 151 TD
Mahomes could retire today and likely still earn a spot in Canton. It’s crazy to think he’s 18 years younger than Tom Brady. In a league which caters more to quarterbacks than ever before, can you imagine the numbers Mahomes will put up (assuming he stays healthy) with at least 10-15 more years under his belt?! He certainly is on the course to at least challenge for the all-time mark in passing yards. When factoring in his talent level along with durability, it’d be a relative shock if he’s at least not retired with a top-10 standing in that specific stat.
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Las Vegas Raiders — Davante Adams
Career Highlights: 2x All-Pro, 5x Pro Bowl, 669 receptions, 8121 yards, 73 TD
There’s an argument to be made that the Raiders acquired two soon-to-be Hall of Famers this offseason. Not only did they add the league’s best wideout in Davante Adams, Vegas also went out and inked edge rusher Chandler Jones to a free agent deal. Jones is a two-time All-Pro with 107.5 career sacks — 5.5 more than J.J. Watt who entered the league a year earlier. While Jones has a strong case, Adams is perhaps the likelier candidate. The former Packer is coming off back-to-back first-team All Pro nods, and is still in the prime of his career. Now linked up with his old college quarterback Derek Carr, expect Adams to light the league on fire for another half-decade.
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Los Angeles Chargers — Khalil Mack
Career Highlights: 3x All-Pro, 6x Pro Bowl, 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, All-2010s Team
Speaking of the Raiders, here’s a former member of the Silver and Black who could be waltzing into Canton one day. Khalil Mack has been one of the league’s most feared defenders since entering the league in 2014. After an All-Pro performance in his sophomore season, Mack put it all together in Year 3 en route to earning Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was shockingly traded to the Chicago Bears two years later, and finished second in DPOY voting in his first year with the club. Mack’s ability to equally play both the run and pass separates him from the typical edge rusher.
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Los Angeles Rams — Aaron Donald
Career Highlights: 7x All-Pro, 8x Pro Bowl, 3x Defensive Player of the Year, 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year, 1x Super Bowl winner, All-2010s Team
A virtual lock for a spot in the Hall of Fame, Aaron Donald is simply adding to his legacy at this point. In ’22, Donald added the final piece to his extensive resume — a Super Bowl ring. He finished the game with 2.0 sacks and was unblockable for most of the night — much like he’s been for the majority of his career. A three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Donald has earned first-team All Pro honors for seven-consecutive seasons. The only time he didn’t make the All=Pro team in his career was during his rookie campaign (he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year). Arguably the best defensive tackle the game has ever seen, Donald has a chance to be considered the greatest defensive player of all-time.
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Miami Dolphins — Tyreek Hill
Career Highlights: 3x All-Pro, 6x Pro Bowl, 1x Super Bowl winner, All-2010s Team, 479 receptions, 6630 yards, 56 TD
The NFL has seen plenty of speedsters over the years. However, it’d be difficult to find a player who utilized their speed on the field as well as Tyreek Hill. The newest Dolphin is bringing his game-breaking ability to Miami, where he hopes to generate some big plays for his new quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. Hill forces defenses to change their game plan in a way that the league hasn’t seen since Randy Moss. A three-time All Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, Hill has accounted for 62 total touchdowns in just six seasons. 28 of those scores were on plays that went for 40-plus yards. He’s a home run waiting to happen.
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Minnesota Vikings — Patrick Peterson
Career Highlights: 3x All-Pro, 8x Pro Bowl, All-2010s Team, 29 INT, 12 fumble recoveries
May as well get Patrick Peterson’s Hall of Fame jacket ready now. There’s no question the cornerback will one day be enshrined in Canton. Peterson was the game’s top corner for a majority of his prime. He earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first eight seasons with the Cardinals — and didn’t miss a single game during that stretch. Peterson was named an All-Pro in three of his first five seasons. His rookie year may go down as one of the best punt return seasons ever (44 returns, 699 yards, 4 touchdowns). His sustained excellence and versatility is more than enough for Peterson to be named a Hall of Famer in a few years time.
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New England Patriots: Matthew Slater
Career Highlights: 2x All-Pro, 10x Pro Bowl, 3x Super Bowl winner
The Patriots had a sure-fire Hall of Famer under center for 20-plus years before Tom Brady decided to take his talents to Tampa Bay. Their head coach/lead decision maker Bill Beilchick will one day earn a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for all he’s accomplished patrolling New England’s sideline. However, there aren’t a whole lot of current players who will get much of a look for a potential Hall of Fame spot. Though, special teams ace Matthew Slater does have a fairly impressive resume. Slater has been a stalwart for Belichick’s special teams group, earning ten Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro honors (first-team twice). He’s been with the club since 2009 and helped contribute to three title-winning teams.
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New Orleans Saints — Tyrann Mathieu
Career Highlights: 3x All-Pro 3x Pro Bowl, 1x Super Bowl winner, All-2010s Team, 26 INT, 3 TD
One of the newest Saints, Tyrann Mathieu is slowly building a strong case for Hall of Fame consideration. The former LSU Tiger is a Swiss-army knife in his ability to fill multiple roles. He plays with an edge and flies around the field making plays at every level. After a quiet end to his Cardinals tenure, and a one-year stint with the Texans, Mathieu regained his groove with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019. He helped revitalized a decrepit group. The year prior to his signing, the Chiefs ranked 24th in points allowed. In the three seasons Mathieu was in KC, the defense finished in the top-10 in scoring each year. A couple more All-Pro nods, and Mathieu will be tough to keep out of the Hall of Fame.
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New York Giants — Leonard Williams
Career Highlights: 1x Pro Bowl, 35.5 sacks, No. 6 pick in 2015 NFL Draft
Full disclosure, it’s difficult to find a current Giant worthy of Hall of Fame recognition. At one point, it seemed like Saquon Barkley was destined to become one of the most dynamic backs the league had ever seen. Injuries have slowed down the former Penn State standout. However, perhaps new head coach Brian Daboll can help reignite his star back. Looking elsewhere, we turn to a Leonard Williams as a potential candidate. Williams entered the league with immense hype, but a lack of raw numbers (35.5 sacks in seven seasons) has kept him from being considered truly elite. Williams has a long road to climb if he wants to be in Canton one day, but he certainly has the talent to make it happen.
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New York Jets — Quinnen Williams
Career Highlights: 15.5 sacks, No. 3 pick in 2019 NFL Draft
Neither of the New York teams have a sure-fire Hall of Famer currently on its roster. That includes Super Bowl MVP and current Jets backup QB Joe Flacco. However, the Jets do have a handful of young players who could make a leap in the coming years. Quinnen Williams is perhaps the most talented player on the Jets roster, and has the potential to develop into a game-breaking force in the coming years. At over 300 pounds, Williams is exceptionally agile for a player of his size and stature. The former No. 3 overall pick looked comfortable in his first year under head coach Robert Saleh, and we could see his sack total rise in the future.
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Philadelphia Eagles — Jason Kelce
Career Highlights: 4x All-Pro, 5x Pro Bowl, 1x Super Bowl winner
The unsung hero of Philadelphia’s monstrous offensive line, Jason Kelce has accomplished more than enough to be worthy of a Hall of Fame spot. And, that would be potentially historic if he makes the cut. If Kelce earns Hall of Fame admission, he would be joined by his brother, Travis, shortly after — making them the first pair of brothers to receive that distinction. The Kelce’s would undoubtedly be considered the best pair of siblings to play the game if that were to happen. Not even the Sharpe’s, Matthew’s, or Manning’s (Eli will likely come up short) would share that accolade. The Kelce’s would get the jump on the Watt’s — who will have to wait for younger brother’s career to come to a close…
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Pittsburgh Steelers — T.J. Watt
Career Highlights: 3x All-Pro, 4x Pro Bowl, 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, 72.0 sacks
Speaking of the Watt’s, 27-year-old T.J. is slowly building up his case. Looking back on it, it’s puzzling how the Steelers were able to scoop up Watt with the 30th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Considering older brother J.J. had already collected three Defensive Player of the Year trophies by then, one would think a team would have taken a shot on T.J. earlier in the draft. The league’s premier edge rusher has made the teams who skipped him pay time and time again. He’s coming off a sensational 22.5-sack season (in 15 games), and has been named an All-Pro three years in a row. A few more years of this kind of production, and T.J. will one day join J.J. in Canton.
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San Francisco 49ers — Trent Williams
Career Highlights: 1x All-Pro, 9x Pro Bowl
Trent Williams is certainly an interesting case for Hall of Fame consideration. For one, his career isn’t quite as linear as many other candidates. The 33-year-old is arguably playing his best ball right now. He earned his first All Pro first-team distinction last season — in Year 12. He likely would have accumulated more by now if his career didn’t run parallel to guys like Joe Thomas, Jason Peters, and Tyron Smith. Nine Pro Bowl nods certainly helps, but he’ll need at least one or two more All Pro recognitions to solidify his spot. With the way he’s played recently, that is certainly in the cards.
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Seattle Seahawks — D.K. Metcalf
Career Highlights: 1x Pro Bowl, 216 receptions, 3170 yards, 29 TD
If there was a Hall of Fame for pure athleticism, D.K. Metcalf would be first ballot. In terms of production, he’s got a long ways to go. Metcalf is a specimen, boasting elite speed, size, and strength. He looks like a body builder on the field with the burst and stride of an Olympic sprinter. Year 2 with the Seahawks had the look of a player who would one day be among the league’s best. In ’20, Metcalf caught 83 passes for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns. He notched 12 more scores last season, but saw a dip in receptions (75) and yardage (967) as a result of an unhealthy Russell Wilson. Still just 24 years old, Metcalf has plenty of time to emerge as an elite wideout and pave his way to enshrinement.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Tom Brady
Career Highlights: 7x Super Bowl Winner, 5x SB MVP, 3x MVP, 3x All-Pro, 15x Pro Bowl, All-2000s Team, All-2010s Team, 243-73 W/L, 84,520 passing yards, 624 TD
Is there much that needs to be said here? The Pro Football Hall of Fame was created for players of Tom Brady’s stature. Inarguably the most accomplished player of all-time, Brady is the owner of seven Super Bowl rings and all sorts of records (which may never be broken). His playoff resume speaks for itself, as he has consistently led his teams (both the Patriots and Buccaneers) on deep postseason runs. The Hall of Fame will have to wait another year to recognize him after Brady opted to unretire and play out the ’22 season. But, make no mistake about it…the jacket and sculpture are likely already ready for when he finally decides to call it quits.
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Tennessee Titans — Derrick Henry
Career Highlights: 1x All-Pro, 2x Pro Bowl, 2020 Offensive Player of the Year, 2x NFL Leading rusher, 6797 rushing yards, 65 TD, 2027 yards and 17 TD in 2020
Derrick Henry at his peak is undoubtedly a Hall of Fame caliber talent. Just look at his 2020 campaign. The Titans rode their 6-foot-3, 250-pound back all the way to a playoff berth. Henry had one of the great seasons for a running back in recent memory, accruing 2,027 rushing yards (126.7 YPG) and 17 touchdowns. Over the last three seasons, Henry has averaged 115.5 yards on the ground per game. Jim Brown has the highest career rushing game average at 104.3. No other back in history is over the century mark. The issue is Henry is already 28 years old — geriatric for a running back in today’s game — and will need a few more years of this level of production to make a strong case. He’ll need to stay healthy, and continue to produce at a high level for a shot.
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Washington Commanders — Chase Young
Career Highlights: 1x Pro Bowl, 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year, 9.0 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, No. 2 pick in 2020 NFL Draft
The Commanders enter a new era without a clear superstar talent on its roster. Though, former No. 2 pick Chase Young does certainly have the look of a potentially elite talent. He showed flashes of being such a type of player as a rookie, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors (7.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries). ’21 was a rough year for Washington’s defense as a whole, and Young’s sophomore campaign was cut short due to a torn ACL. With a revamped group, Young should be able to feast in Year 3 as he hopes to get back on the path of becoming one of the game’s premier defensive ends.
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