#42 Overall, Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers, #9 Defensive End: Defensive Linemen/Linebackers: Pass Rushers
2024 Pre-Season Rank #52, 2023: Pre-Season Rank #83. Peak Period: 2019-23
The explosive Nick Bosa is one of a handful of players who won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year (2019) and later the AP Defensive Player of the Year (2022), a combination of trophies that can pave the way to a bronze bust.
The cornerstone of a defense that has been to two Super Bowls, Bosa’s five-year peak is impacted by an injury that held him to two Games in 2020. When he is healthy, Bosa is among the best pass-rushers in football, though it is a position that needs constant attention for the Hall, as his stature has shrunk over the last 24 months.
#56 Overall, Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals, #10 Wide Receiver
2024 Pre-Season Rank #111, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #134, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #145. Peak Period: 2021-23*
Here is what we said last year:
“A Pro Bowl in all three of his NFL seasons, Ja’Marr Chase was the 2021 Consensus Offensive Rookie of the Year and is a possible league WR1 going into 2024. Chase might have to carry a more significant load with the departure of Running Back Joe Mixon, but Chase can set personal bests this year. Many predict it.”
Chase did that, winning the Wide Receiver’s Triple Crown with 127 Receptions, 1.708 Receiving Yards, and 17 Touchdowns. His first four NFL seasons have few peers, and he is only 25.
*Chase has only played for four years.
#88 Overall, Joe Mixon, Houston Texans, #9 Running Back
2024 Pre-Season Rank #89, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #117, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #143. Peak: 18-19/21-23
The first year of Joe Mixon’s career in Houston netted the former Sooner his first Pro Bowl since 2021, off a year where he broke 1,000 Yards (1,016) for the fifth time and 11 Touchdowns. Mixon has been consistent over his eight NFL seasons, but at no time has he been considered a top-five Running Back. This has to change, or he will have to go the Frank Gore route of compiling. Considering he is starting 2025 on the IR, it will be a tall task.
#70 Overall, Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts, #6 Running Back
2024 Pre-Season Rank #98, 2023 Pre-Season Rank: #107, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #111. Peak Period: 2020-24
After a good rookie year in 2020, Taylor exploded, leading the NFL in Rushing Yards (1,811) and Rushing Touchdowns (18), and a Running Back needs a year like this to place you on the tips of tongues of Hall of Fame voters. In 2022, Taylor had a great start to the season but was held to 11 Games due to ankle issues. In 2023, he held out, delaying his start until that year.
We said last year that one monstrous season does not make a Hall of Fame career for a player, and Taylor would have to reclaim that 2021 magic for a serious Hall of Fame list jump. He did, with a bounce-back 1,431-yard/11-touchdown year and a return to the Pro Bowl.
#38 Overall, Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings, #5 Wide Receiver
2024 Pre-Season Rank #50, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #101, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #130. Peak Period: 2020-24
Since he debuted in 2020, Justin Jefferson has accumulated more Receiving Yards (7,432) than any other Wide Receiver. He is also the current all-time leader in Receiving Yards per Game (96.5). He is also in his prime.
Except for 2023, when he only played 10 Games, Jefferson has been named to the Pro Bowl annually, was the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year, the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, and is a two-time First Team All-Pro. This man is a star!
Barring injury, Justin Jefferson has the tools to replicate his first half-decade from 2025 to 2029. If he does, that bust is a lock.
#67 Overall, Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Right Tackle, #9 Offensive Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #94, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #105, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #119. Peak Period: 2020-24
Wirfs was the highest-drafted offensive lineman in the 2020 draft, and there is no doubt that he has met Tampa’s expectations. One of the best Tackles over the last four seasons, Wirfs played a significant part in Tampa Bay's previous Super Bowl win and has helped them reach the playoffs every season since his arrival.
Wirfs enters 2025 on a four-year Pro Bowl run, and he was a First Team All-Pro last season.
#47 Overall, DeMario Davis, New Orleans Saints Linebacker, #5 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Interior Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #47, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #61, 2022, Pre-Season Rank #137. Peak Period: 2019-23
Davis, a veteran player, has experienced a significant rise in the second half of his career. From 2019 to 2023, Davis was an All-Pro (one First Team and four Second Team), and his versatility and leadership were the keys to some very good New Orleans defences in the early 2020s.
As good as he has been in his 30s, he turns 37 this season, and his Hall of Fame resume looks to be “too little, too late.”. Nevertheless, the Saints Hall of Fame will assuredly give him a place in their institution.
#80 Overall, Matt Judon, Miami Dolphins, Defensive End, #17 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Pass Rusher
2024 Pre-Season Rank #80, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #75, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #112. Peak Period: 2018-22
Matt Judon’s four-year streak of Pro Bowl appearances ended in 2022, when the then-New England Patriot suffered a torn bicep. Judon had four Sacks in four Games in 2023 and 15 the year before, but if he returns to double-digit Sacks in 2025, it will be his fourth team, the Miami Dolphins.
#15 Overall, Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs, Defensive Tackle, #7 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Pass Rusher
2024 Pre-Season Rank #15, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #58, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #100. Peak Period 2020-24.
When you think of the recent success of the Kansas City Chiefs, you immediately think of Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and the offense, but you have to stop the ball, and in the 2020s, very few could do it at the level of Chris Jones.
Versatile, consistent, and quick like a cat, Jones does it all. The defensive stud of Kansas City’s five Super Bowl appearances, Jones combines the power of a pass rusher and the speed of a run-blocker to make a perfect defensive beast. The pundits agree that Jones begins this year on a three-year streak of First Team All-Pro Selections with six straight Pro Bowls. The scary thing for opposing offenses is that Jones seems to be constantly improving.
Would KC have won their last three Super Bowls without Jones? Not a chance.
#97 Overall, Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers, #14 Quarterback
2024 Pre-Season Rank #116, 2023 Pre-Season Rank: 116, 2022 Pre-Season Rank: #129. Peak Period: 2020-24
The Chargers have their Quarterback for the long haul in Justin Herbert, who was the 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl Selection in 2021, but still has a lot left to prove. While his 3,870 Passing Yards may not jump off the page in this era, he led the league in Interception Percentage (0.6), throwing only three picks against 23 Touchdowns. The Chargers made the playoffs last year, and Herbert was ninth in MVP voting; however, he is a deep playoff run away from making a concerted turn toward the Hall.
#57 Overall, Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams, #11 Wide Receiver
2024 Pre-Season Rank #48, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #62, 2022 Pre-Season Rank: #67. Peak Period: 2019-23
Cooper Kupp was in his fifth season (2021), where he exploded by winning the Wide Receiver’s Triple Crown (145 Receptions, 1,947 Receiving Yards, and 16 Touchdowns) and won the Offensive Player of the Year. Kupp was highly regarded in the NFL, but it was safe to say that his success came as a surprise across the country. He continued this success through the postseason, leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl win in Los Angeles and winning the Super Bowl MVP award.
As it appears now, Kupp was a WR2 masquerading as a star WR1 for one year, as he has never approached that year’s output since. That incredible year earns him a spot on this list, and in his ninth year of the NFL, he joins his hometown Seattle Seahawks. For Kupp to sniff the Hall, he has to recreate that 2021 year.
#82 Overall, Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens, #7 Cornerback
2024 Pre-Season #106, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #112, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #149, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #146. Peak Period: 2019-20 & 22-24
Marlon Humphrey went to his fourth Pro Bowl last season, which showed that when he is on his game, he is among the best Corners in Football. Humprhey has been inconsistent throughout his career, but he is a former Forced Fumble leader (8 in 2020), and goes into this campaign one Interception away from 20. A Super Bowl and third First Team All-Pro will give him the Hall of Fame push that he looked to have years ago.
#39 Overall, Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens Linebacker, #4 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Interior Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #62, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #92, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #133, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #146. Peak Period: 2020-24
Smith was a Second-Team All-Pro for two years in a row (2020-21), but as good as he was, the Bears were not, and Smith and Chicago became disenchanted with each other. Chicago traded Smith to the Ravens during the season, and it started the best run of his career.
In the year he was traded (2022), Smith had career highs in Combined Tackles (169) and Solo Tackles (103), and was rewarded with his First Team All-Pro. Smith has since followed that with his second and third First Team All-Pro, and his domination of the middle has continued the stellar reputation of the Baltimore defense.
He enters the 2025 season with a four-year streak of at least 150 Tackles and is on a Super Bowl contender. A fourth First Team All-Pro and a ring will catapult his chances, and we won’t bet against the one-man heat-seeking missile.
#36 Overall, Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns, Left Guard, #5 Offensive Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #46, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #60, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #91, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #143. Peak Period: 2018-22
Bitonio is now on a seven-year run of Pro Bowls, and three years ago, he put forth his best campaign to date with his second First Team All-Pro nod. No other Offensive Linemen have risen more over the last four seasons than the Guard, who has been Cleveland's most consistent offensive figure in the past seven years.
#27 Overall, Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles, Right Tackle, #3 Offensive Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #40, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #57, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #107, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #143. Peak Period 2017-18/2022-24
When you are on the same Offensive Line as Jason Kelce, you fall easily into the shadows. As Kelce’s teammate, Johnson won a Super Bowl, went to five Pro Bowls (2017-19 & 2022-23), and was twice a First Team All-Pro, cementing him as one of the top Tackles in Football. Following Kelce’s retirement in 2023, Johnson accomplished something that Kelce could not do: win a second Super Bowl. That occurred last season, when Johnson added Pro Bowl number six. How much does Johnson’s legacy increase if Philadelphia wins it all again this year?
#49 Overall, A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles, #8 Wide Receiver
2024 Pre-Season Rank #76, #2023 Pre-Season Rank #106, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #142, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #141. Peak Period: 2020-24
The fanbase of the Tennessee Titans is still shaking its head at the trade of A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles.
A Pro Bowl Selection in 2020, Brown was dealt to Philadelphia, and the Eagles made the correct bet, as in the three years he has been in the City of Brotherly Love, he has been named a Second Team All-Pro in all three. The primary air weapon of Jalen Hurts, Brown had back-to-back 1,400-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023, and last year, he was a massive part of the Eagles' Super Bowl win.
A star on top contender, Brown might be in the shadow of other wideouts, but is on track for a Canton-worthy career.
#22 Overall, Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers Linebacker, #2 Defensive Lineman/Linebacker: Interior Lineman
2024 Pre-Season Rank #49, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #79, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #118, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #142. Peak Period: 2020-24
When you face the San Francisco 49ers (especially over the last few seasons), opposing offenses know that there is a quick-as-a-cat Middle Linebacker named Fred Warner who will make yardage up the middle a lot harder.
As one of the man-to-man interior forces in football, Warner is cruising to an All-Decade Selection, is on a run of three straight First Team All-Pros, and is a possible Defensive Player of the Year. Producing 897 Tackles over his seven seasons, Warner’s knack for the big play has played a large part in San Francisco’s playoff success since he arrived. He has yet to miss a game, and if he remains healthy, his Hall of Fame candidacy will increase exponentially on an annual basis.
#99 Overall, Aaron Jones: Minnesota Vikings: #10 Running Back
2024 Pre-Season Rank #110, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #115, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #122, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #127. Peak Period: 2019-20/22-24
The first season in Minnesota was a success for Aaron Jones, who set a personal best in Rushing Yards (1,138) and had five TDs on the ground to give him an even 50. His numbers are decent, but he will turn 31 this year. Nevertheless, Jones keeps cruising along and should break 10,000 Yards from Scrimmage this year. The Hall of Fame will likely not call, but the Green Bay Packers Hall will.
#79 Overall, Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons, #12 Quarterback
2024 Pre-Season Rank #78, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #61, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #87, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #121. Peak Period: 2016-20
The run of Kirk Cousins in Minnesota was underappreciated as he earned three of his four Pro Bowls and 171 Touchdowns in purple. Cosuins departed to lead Atlanta, who promptly drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the First Round. The writing was on the wall.
Cousins had his least accurate season as a starter, allowing an NFL-high 16 Interceptions, before he was relieved for Penix. Cousins begins the season on the bench, and at age 37, his best days are likely done, though his overall numbers (42,979 Yards and 288 TDs) are nothing to be ashamed of, and if he gets significant time, he can break 45,000 Yards and 300 TDs, which is high-end company.
#41 Overall, Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots, #6 Wide Receiver
2024 Pre-Season Rank #38, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #48, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #57, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #118. Peak Period 2019-23
Stefon Diggs joined the 10,000 Yard Receiving Club in 2024 in his lone year in Houston, but a torn ACL held him to eight Games and less than 500 Yards. Those four consecutive Pro Bowls in Buffalo also came with the benefit of having Josh Allen as the Quarterback. He now joins the rebuilding New England Patriots, and if healthy, will be a top option. Diggs will have to compile a lot of Yards to get a Hall of Fame look, and this season will tell if he still has the wheels to make a run.