Five NFL legends received their gold jackets on Saturday, as Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Roger Craig and Adam Vinatieri were all enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. All of these inductions, obviously, are well-deserved.
While now is the ideal time to look back and honor these illustrious careers, it's also a fun time to look ahead at what's to come. We decided to take a look at the active NFL players and see which ones have the best chance of making it to the Hall of Fame. We ranked everyone who deserves to be in the conversation, from the locks to the players on the verge, to those that are ultimately too early to decide on.
The locks
Let's start with the obvious ones. These players would either be safely in the Hall of Fame if they retired today, or are on the verge of putting the finishing touches on their Hall of Fame careers. The only thing that'd keep that select few out would be a catastrophic and unforeseen injury at this point.
- WR Davante Adams
- QB Josh Allen
- WR Mike Evans
- EDGE Myles Garrett
- RB Derrick Henry
- QB Lamar Jackson
- OL Lane Johnson
- DT Chris Jones
- TE Travis Kelce
- QB Patrick Mahomes
- LB Khalil Mack
- RB Christian McCaffrey
- OL Quenton Nelson
- CB Jalen Ramsey
- QB Aaron Rodgers
- QB Matthew Stafford
- LB T.J. Watt
- OL Trent Williams
It's hard to debate really any of these. To start with the older quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers is one of the five best quarterbacks of all-time, and while Matthew Stafford's case isn't quite as cut-and-dry, his run with the Los Angeles Rams, which included his elusive Super Bowl title, should be enough to get him in without issue.
The rest of the list includes some of the best players of all-time at their respective positions, like Davante Adams, Myles Garrett, Derrick Henry, Lane Johnson, Chris Jones, Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, Jalen Ramsey and Trent Williams.
I think the only possible controversial name on this list at this point is Josh Allen, a quarterback who hasn't even made it to a Super Bowl and who some argue didn't even deserve the MVP award he won. With that being said, he's been a top-three quarterback for over half a decade, and his numbers are well on their way. The only thing that'll realistically keep him out at this point is an injury we don't see coming.
A year or two away
Unlike the lock category, nobody from this group of players should be seen as a Hall of Famer right now. All of them need to put together at least one, and possibly two more, elite seasons to be considered for Canton. Fortunately, they're all capable of doing just that.
- S Budda Baker
- EDGE Maxx Crosby
- EDGE Danielle Hunter
- WR Justin Jefferson
- EDGE Cameron Jordan
- TE George Kittle
- LB Micah Parsons
- OL Joe Thuney
- LB Fred Warner
Justin Jefferson, Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby are on the younger side compared to those on this list, but what they've done to begin their careers is unprecedented. Jefferson has the most receiving yards of any player in NFL history in his first six seasons despite catching passes from Kirk Cousins and friends, Parsons already has five seasons with 12.5 sacks or more to start his career, something not even Reggie White could pull off, and Crosby is just the model of consistency despite the dysfunction around him with the Raiders.
Budda Baker probably won't win anything in Arizona, but with eight Pro Bowl appearances under his belt already, he's probably one or two away from getting in. The odds of Cameron Jordan winning anything in New Orleans are probably slim to none, but of the 21 players with more sacks than him, only three who are eligible have not made it to the Hall of Fame. With another good year, Jordan can pass all of them in career sacks.
George Kittle's case will be interesting to follow, too. Tight ends don't usually get the appreciation they deserve, and he's dealt with his share of injuries, but he's also been as dominant as any tight end not named Travis Kelce throughout much of his career. It feels like another high-end season from the 32-year-old would make him a lock. He's not walking away anytime soon, at least.
The Hall of Very Good
This next tier is pretty easy to understand. It includes players who have been stars at certain points of their careers but either haven't been elite for long enough, or never had the transcendent season that Hall of Fame voters typically look for.
- TE Mark Andrews
- S Jessie Bates III
- WR Odell Beckham Jr.
- DT DeForest Buckner
- EDGE Brian Burns
- EDGE Calais Campbell
- QB Kirk Cousins
- WR Stefon Diggs
- QB Jared Goff
- DT Cameron Heyward
- S Derwin James Jr.
- FB Kyle Juszczyk
- RB Alvin Kamara
- WR Cooper Kupp
- DT Dexter Lawrence II
- OL Jake Matthews
- OL Ronnie Stanley
- S Harrison Smith
Injuries are to blame for some of these. Odell Beckham Jr. looked like a surefire Hall of Famer three years into his NFL career, but injuries have ruined any chance of that. Derwin James Jr. has the peak years needed, but playing five games in a two-year span earlier in his career made things tough. Ronnie Stanley was at one point arguably the best left tackle in the AFC, but he's dealt with his share of injuries as well. Cooper Kupp might've garnered more consideration if he stayed healthier in his peak years. His peak years were as special as any active player's.
There're some controversial names on this list, too. I can understand those who think the longevity of guys like Calais Campbell and Harrison Smith should be enough to get them to Canton. I can understand those who believe Cameron Heyward's outstanding run with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the back half of his career (which is still going on) is good enough to get him in, even if he didn't do much in his first six years.
The most interesting case on this list to follow will undoubtedly be Kyle Juszczyk's, mostly because of how unprecedented it is. He's a 10-time Pro Bowler, which sounds like a Hall of Famer in most cases, but he's also a fullback, meaning he just doesn't face much of any competition at the position. Will the voters value production from a fullback enough to get him to the Hall? I genuinely have no idea, but I would be surprised.
On the right path
This next tier includes some of the best players in the NFL currently at all kinds of positions. These guys have gotten off to outstanding starts to their careers and will be Hall of Famers if they continue to play as well as they are, but they all have substantial amounts of work to still do.
- EDGE Will Anderson Jr.
- TE Brock Bowers
- WR Ja'Marr Chase
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs
- S Kyle Hamilton
- C Creed Humphrey
- EDGE Aidan Hutchinson
- QB Jalen Hurts
- WR CeeDee Lamb
- QB Drake Maye
- TE Trey McBride
- CB Quinyon Mitchell
- RB Bijan Robinson
- OL Penei Sewell
- WR Puka Nacua
- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
- CB Derek Stingley Jr.
- CB Patrick Surtain II
- CB Devon Witherspoon
Some of the players on this list have had historically great starts to their careers. Brock Bowers' rookie year was as dominant as any tight end ever. Ja'Marr Chase has been a Pro Bowler in each of his first five years and already has three seasons with more than 1,400 yards, including a 1,708-yard season in 2024. Bijan Robinson has a pair of 1,400-yard seasons under his belt, and without David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs seems primed for some absurd years. Patrick Surtain has quietly established himself as the nearly clear-cut best cornerback in the NFL at just 26 years old. Drake Maye nearly won an MVP in his first full season as a starter.
The most controversial name on this list might be Jalen Hurts, but hear me out. He's 57-25 as a starter and has already started in two Super Bowls, winning one (including taking home that Super Bowl MVP award). He's had some rough moments in recent years, and he'll have his work cut out for him without A.J. Brown, but Hurts just turned 28 years old, has loads of talent and is on what should still be a competitive Eagles team. He's going to have a stronger case than people probably think.
If things break right
This is the "shouldn't be ruled out" tier. The odds are probably stacked against this collective group of players to make it to the Hall of Fame, but if things break right, they could very well find their way in at some point.
- RB De'Von Achane
- RB Saquon Barkley
- EDGE Nik Bonitto
- WR A.J. Brown
- QB Joe Burrow
- CB Sauce Gardner
- EDGE Trey Hendrickson
- QB Justin Herbert
- CB Trent McDuffie
- QB Dak Prescott
- QB Brock Purdy
- DT Jeffery Simmons
- OL Trey Smith
- OL Tyler Smith
- RB Jonathan Taylor
- CB Denzel Ward
- WR Garrett Wilson
- OL Tristan Wirfs
Some of this comes down to health. Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor have had Hall of Fame-caliber seasons, but they've both missed significant time due to injuries and are both getting older at a position that doesn't typically age well. If they can put together a few more healthy and strong seasons (which is probably a big if at this point), why can't they be in the discussion? The same can honestly be said about Joe Burrow, who has had injury woes of his own.
What if Garrett Wilson can find himself a quarterback? That feels like a big if considering the organization he's with, but he's put together three 1,000+ yard seasons despite being a New York Jet. He has the talent to be one of the game's best wideouts if he can simply find a better option to throw him the football.
What if Sauce Gardner can rediscover his previous form? It's easy to forget he was arguably the league's best corner before some recent struggles. What if guys like Justin Herbert and Dak Prescott can finally put it together in the playoffs? It's easy to overlook just how good they've been in the regular season.
Too early to call
This final tier is rather self-explanatory. It includes a group of youngsters whom we can't fully judge yet. They have the raw talent necessary to one day get to the Hall of Fame and have gotten to good starts, but have so, so much work to do ahead of them.
- DT Jaylen Carter
- QB Jayden Daniels
- CB Cooper DeJean
- EDGE Laiatu Latu
- WR Tetairoa McMillan
- LB Carson Schweisinger
- LB Jared Verse
- TE Tyler Warren
- QB Caleb Williams
We've seen the massive upside both Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams possess. Daniels looked destined for superstardom before an injury-plagued second season slowed him down, and while Williams hasn't put it all together yet, he's shown flashes of utter brilliance that made him such an exciting prospect.
Most of this list, beyond the quarterbacks, is comprised of youngsters who already have hardware to their names, like Laiatu Latu, Tetairoa McMillan, Carson Schweisinger and Jared Verse. Heck, Tyler Warren didn't take home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but he was a Pro Bowler as a rookie this past season, and certainly has the talent necessary to be an elite tight end for a long time.
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