2024 Pre-Season Rank #30, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #27, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #30, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #58, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #56. Peak Period: 2016-2020
Bakhtiari was Aaron Rodgers' top Offensive Lineman for years, and for a time, it looked like he was criminally disrespected by Pro Bowl and All-Pro voters. That would change, but shortly after, his injuries held him to 13 Games from 2021 to 2023. He is now a Free Agent and might never play another down in the NFL. If that is the case, did he do enough?
It's likely not, as the logjam for Offensive Linemen is looking a lot like Wide Receivers, and the road will be hard. Bakhtiari will, though, enter the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame early, and hopefully, he will do one of his beer speed chugs.
2024 Pre-Season Rank #42, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #59, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #74, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #86, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #93. Peak Period: 2018-19/22-24.
The man who coined “National Tight Ends Day” would be the toast of his position over the last half-decade if it were not for Travis Kelce, but George Kittle has become well known just the same!
Kittle is coming off his sixth Pro Bowl, where he had his fourth 1,000-yard year (1,106) and was a Second Team All-Pro. A San Francisco 49er for all of his eight years, Kittle is now north of 30, but still plays like he is in his prime. With Rob Gronkowski (and possibly Jason Witten) entering soon, the statistical bar for Tight Ends is growing, but if Kitlle can speed up his pace over the next few years and possibly win a Super Bowl, he will be in the hunt.
2024 Pre-Season Rank #100, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #113, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #116, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #124, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #137. Peak Period: 2016-18/2020-21
If there were ever a WR2 Hall of Fame, would Adam Thielen make the first ballot?
Of course, there isn’t one, but we are impressed by how Thielen keeps chugging along. His last Pro Bowl was in 2018, a year that he had over 100 Receptions (113) and 1,000 Yards (1,373). He never had a three-digit Reception/four-digit Receiving Yards year again until 2023 (103 Rec/1,014 Yards) last year in his first season in Carolina, where he was one of the few weapons they had.
Even though he is in his mid-30s the Minnesota Vikings believe that Thielen can help, as they traded for him in the pre-season, reuniting him with the team where he had 55 Touchdowns. The PFHOF won’t call him (though he will be a longtime preliminary candidate), but a post-career accolade in Minnesota? Definitely.
2024 Pre-Season Rank #27, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #24, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #43, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #67, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #95. Peak Period: 2018-22
Davante Adams was Aaron Rodgers' favorite weapon in Green Bay, and last year, Adams and Rodgers were reunited with the New York Jets. In a combined season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Adams collected 1,063 Yards, which, while low for him, was his fifth straight 1,000-yard year and sixth overall.
Adams has already proved he doesn’t need Rodgers (his first year in Vegas saw him lead the NFL in Touchdown Receptions (14), and he did have three consecutive First Team All-Pros, which not many Wide Receivers can claim.
Joining the Los Angeles Rams this year, Adams will be the second option behind Puca Nacua, but he can still compile significant yardage. Going into 2025, Adams is 33rd all-time in Yards, and just 1,000 Yards (providing that Mike Evans does not accrue 181 Yards this year, will vault him ten spots. He has also been a top-endzone threat, punching it through 103 times, placing him 23rd. His Hall of Fame bar looks to be 14,000 Yards and 120 TDs, and if healthy, he should get there.