The all-time leader in Receiving, Receiving Yards, and Receiving Touchdowns in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, Hines Ward brings the accumulative statistical resume that you would expect from a Wide Receiver in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Ward amassed over 12,000 Yards Receiving, an even 1,000 Receptions, and, most importantly, was a large part of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Super Bowl wins in 2006 and 2009, the first of which he was named the MVP.

Still, Ward was never named to a First Team All-Pro squad, and despite his strong numbers and high-profile market, he was never called the best Wide Receiver in the game.  He ranks much lower than the other great names of his era in Yards per Game and career touchdowns. Does that take away the great lifetime stats and the Super Bowl wins?  It shouldn't, but it might explain why he has yet to escape the semi-finals through the glut of talented WRs who are consistently eligible.

Although Derrick Mason produced strong career statistics and had multiple seasons tabulating over 1,000 Receiving Yards, it is hard to make a strong case for Mason to receive a Hall of Fame induction. Mason was the star receiver for both Tennessee and Baltimore, though he played in an era when the game opened up, and stars were perceived as superior at Wide Receiver. Only earning a trip to the Pro Bowl twice and one All-Pro Selection reflects that fact, though that was primarily from his Punt and Kick Returning. Still, that was the season (2000) in which he led the NFL in All-Purpose Yards.

What is it about the 2000s and brash Wide Receivers?  Perhaps the most obnoxious (depending on your point of view) of them all was Chad Johnson, who was a major star for the Cincinnati Bengals for a decade.  

On the field, “Ocho Cinco” would eclipse the 1,200 Yard mark five years in a row, including one season where he led the NFL in Yards Receiving.  He is a rare member of the 10,000 Yard club and was chosen for the Pro Bowl six times.  Johnson was not just good, he was exciting, and was an ESPN highlight film all on his own.  As good as he was, there are some serious factors that could easily prevent him from going to Canton.

As explosive as he was and as famous as he became, Johnson was one of many great Wide Receivers of his day and was one of many beneficiaries of the rule changes that aided his position.  He did have good career numbers, but there are many that are ahead of him, and with only three All-Pro selections to his credit, he will be behind many of those other Wideouts.  

Johnson was also labeled as a distraction and, even worse, a locker room cancer.  Also, as the world becomes more politically correct, the domestic violence arrest that caused him to be released by the Miami Dolphins does him no favors.

We can say this with one hundred percent certainty.  There is nobody else that we would want to eavesdrop more on a Hall of Fame committee conversation than Chad Johnson.

The 16th Overall Pick in the 2000 Draft, Julian Peterson carved out a good career in the National Football League.  Winning the Left Outside Linebacker job midway through his rookie year with the San Francisco 49ers, Peterson would go to the Pro Bowl in 2002 and 2003, the last season seeing him earn First Team All-Pro accolades.  He later signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2006 and was a Pro Bowl Selection in all three seasons there.  He would go to Detroit for his final two years, and he accumulated 51.5 Sacks over his career.