Tight Ends: 

Here are the three Tight Ends who have entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame and played within the last 25 years.  They comprise our baseline:

Antonio Gates (2025), Tony Gonzalez (2019) & Shannon Sharpe (2011).

The Tight End position has been rapidly evolving to a main receiving option, and we expect this to be the most in-flux statistical bar over the next 20 years.

Here are the statistical averages that we are using based on the last group of Wide Receivers to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

• Games Played: 208.5
• Approximate Value: 126.7
• Approximate Value per Games Played: 0.5352
• Games Started: 204.3
• Approximate Value per Games Started: 0.6198
• Approximate Value per Five-Year Peak: 54.3
• Approximate Value’s Best Five Results: 57.3
• Pro Bowls: 10
• First Team All-Pros*: 4.3
• Receiving Yards: 12,342.7
• Receiving Yards Five-Year Peak: 4,880
• Top Five Receiving Yards Finish: 0
• Receiving Touchdowns: 96.3
• Receiving Touchdowns Five-Year Peak: 38
• Top Five Receiving Touchdown Finishes**: 1.7
• Receptions: 1,032
• Receptions Five-Year Peak: 380.7
• Top Five Receptions**: 4
• Super Bowl Wins 1
• Super Bowl Appearances 1

*This is an aggregate of the Top Five finishes (5^th = 1, 4^th = 2, 3^rd = 3, 2^nd = 4^th, 1^st = 5)
**This is a reminder that the All-Pros we use are from the AP.

Wide Receivers: 

Here are the six Wide Receivers who have entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame and played within the last 25 years.  They comprise our baseline:

Isaac Bruce (2020), Larry Fitzgerald (2026), Andre Johnson (2024), Calvin Johnson (2021), Randy Moss (2012) & LaDainian Tomlinson (2017).

Has the Wide Receiver position not been the most backlogged offensive position for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for decades?  Amazingly, this is still the case despite it yielding the most inductees over the past decade. The path to Canton will only get harder as receiving numbers have risen over the past ten years, and we will see this unless there are significant rule changes.

A change from last year is that Larry Fitzgerald entered our baseline, which increased the longevity numbers but decreased the peak baseline.

Here are the statistical averages that we are using based on the last group of Wide Receivers to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

• Games Played: 208.5
• Approximate Value: 136.7
• Approximate Value per Games Played: 0.6556
• Games Started: 195.5
• Approximate Value per Games Started: 0.6992
• Approximate Value per Five-Year Peak: 63.67
• Approximate Value’s Best Five Results: 69/33
• MVP Top Five Finishes* **: 0.5
• Offensive Player of the Year Finishes* **: 2.67
• Pro Bowls: 6.67
• First Team All-Pros*: 2.5
• Receiving Yards: 14,955.0
• Receiving Yards Five-Year Peak: 6,529.67
• Top Five Receiving Yards Finish: 12.88
• Receiving Touchdowns: 112.33
• Receiving Touchdowns Five-Year Peak: 50.66
• Top Five Receiving Touchdown Finishes**: 15.0
• Receptions: 1051.5
• Receptions Five-Year Peak: 453.83
• Top Five Receptions**: 9.2
• Super Bowl Wins: 0.83
• Super Bowl Appearances: 0.1.67

*This is an aggregate of the Top Five finishes (5^th = 1, 4^th = 2, 3^rd = 3, 2^nd = 4^th, 1^st = 5)
**This is a reminder that the All-Pros we use are from the AP.

Running Backs: 

Here are the five Running Backs who have entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame and played within the last 25 years.  They comprise our baseline:

Jerome Bettis (2015), Terrell Davis (2017), Edgerrin James (2020), Curtis Martin (2012) & LaDainian Tomlinson (2017).

The last five Running Backs who entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame are a talented group of individuals who redefined the running game, but as football moves even more toward the air, the bar set by these greats will make it harder for the current crop to gain induction.

Here are the statistical averages that we are using based on the last group of Running Backs to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

• Games Played: 151.2
• Approximate Value: 121.4
• Approximate Value per Games Played: 0.8029
• Games Started: 137.2
• Approximate Value per Games Started: 0.8848
• Approximate Value per Five-Year Peak: 78.6
• Approximate Value’s Best Five Results: 86
• MVP Top Five Finishes* **: 4.2
• Offensive Player of the Year* **: 7.0
• Pro Bowls: 4.6
• First Team All-Pros*: 2
• Rushing Yards: 12,240
• Rushing Yards Five-Year Peak: 7,109.8
• Top Five Rushing Yards Finish 12.8
• Receiving Yards: 2,839
• Receiving Yards Five-Year Peak: 1,648.8
• Receiving Touchdowns: 9.2
• Yards From Scrimmage: 15,098
• Yards From Scrimmage Five-Year Peak: 8,740.6
• Top Five Yards From Scrimmage Finish: 11.4
• Touchdowns From Scrimmage: 90.8
• Top Five Touchdowns From Scrimmage Finish: 9.2
• Super Bowl Wins 0.6
• Super Bowl Appearances 0.8

*This is an aggregate of the Top Five finishes (5^th = 1, 4^th = 2, 3^rd = 3, 2^nd = 4^th, 1^st = 5)
**This is a reminder that the All-Pros we use are from the AP.