One player from each NFL team that could make Pro Football Hall of Fame

New England Patriots – Ezekiel Elliott

Thankfully, we finished writing this piece on Monday, because, before that, it was slim-pickings on the New England Patriots. There are a lot of very good players on this roster. Matthew Judon could be a local Hall of Famer one day. Juju Smith-Schuster has had a nice career. Christian Barmore, Jonathan Jones, and Christian Gonzalez could be really good, but it’s too early to tell. It’s much easier to make a case for newly-signed Ezekiel Elliott.

Of course, when Elliott eventually retires from the NFL, he won’t be known for his time in New England. This is one of those weird stops, like Emmitt Smith with the Arizona Cardinals or LaDainian Tomlinson with the New York Jets. Still, Elliott could be in a position to pad stats. The Patriots find the best use of its running backs. Elliott might get more goalline carries here than anywhere else.

Elliott’s rookie season was historic. He finished fourth in MVP voting and fifth in Offensive Player of the Year voting. He led the league in rushing with 1,631 yards and had 15 touchdowns. He led the league in yards per game in his first three seasons in the league, leading to that huge contract he signed with Jerry Jones.

Elliott’s Hall of Fame case comes down to the narrative. It seems he faces a lot of grief for how he dealt with his contract situation. Also, he got cut at 28 years old despite the Cowboys eating a lot of money to do so. Still, for a spell, Elliott was beyond great. Will that be enough to get him in the Hall?