On Wednesday, the NFL announced the list of 167 modern-era players nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2025 class.
Among that group, 16 players are Canton-eligible for the first time. Which of those players will be given a gold jacket?
Let’s rank all 16 first-timers based on how likely they are to eventually be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Ranking All 16 First-Time Candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame
16) TE Delanie Walker
Walker won’t make the Hall of Fame, but that shouldn’t take away from what was a very interesting career.
How many tight ends also dabbled as kick returners, as Walker did with the 49ers at the beginning of his NFL tenure? (Apologies for the grainy video, but you have to watch his 101-yard kickoff return TD during the 2008 preseason).
Walker didn’t become an offensive weapon until joining the Titans in 2013. He topped 800 receiving yards every season from age 30 to age 33 while earning three Pro Bowl nods.
15) S Antoine Bethea
Bethea was an enforcer for the Peyton Manning Colts in the mid-to-late 2000s and early 2010s, winning Super Bowl XLI in the process. A 200-game starter, Bethea put up over 100 tackles in eight of his 14 pro seasons.
He’s not a Hall of Famer, but Bethea might be part of a few “Remember Some Guys?” discussions.
14) TE Vernon Davis
The second-highest drafted tight end of the 21st century after Kyle Pitts, Davis was an absolute physical marvel. At the 2006 NFL Combine, he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash with a 1.52 10-yard split at 6’3″ and 254 pounds.
Davis posted more than 700 receiving yards four times, caught 13 TDs in 2009, and went to two Pro Bowls.
13) C Travis Frederick
Frederick was dominant during his short NFL run, earning three All-Pro appearances (one first-team) in six seasons. He missed the 2018 campaign after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, then played one more year before retiring.
With more longevity, Frederick would have had a serious chance at a gold jacket.
12) WR Demaryius Thomas
Thomas, who tragically passed away in 2021, was Manning’s favorite target during his run with the Broncos. The 2010 first-round pick posted 1,000+ receiving yards each season from 2012-16, earning a Pro Bowl berth each year.
Thomas put up 35 touchdowns between 2012 and 2014 and won Super Bowl 50 against the Panthers after the 2015 season.
11) C Ryan Kalil
Kalil battled injuries to make 152 career starts over 13 seasons, almost all of which came with Cam Newton’s Panthers. He’s a five-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro, and one of his generation’s most consistent interior linemen, but the Hall of Fame bar for centers is extremely high.
With centers Jason Kelce and Maurkice Pouncey scheduled to be on the ballot in future years, Kalil doesn’t have a great chance of getting in.
10) RB Darren Sproles
Sproles might be the inaugural member of a PPR Hall of Fame, but despite his value to fantasy football players, he’s probably not heading to Canton.
Sproles caught 70+ passes in all three of his seasons with the Saints, serving as Drew Brees’ favorite checkdown option. Sproles was also an electric returner and ranks fifth all-time in all-purpose yardage (19,696).
9) OT Joe Staley
Staley was always considered one tick below the elite offensive tackles of his generation, such as Joe Thomas and Jason Peters. He went to six Pro Bowls over 13 seasons with the 49ers, but all three of his All-Pro berths were second-team.
Staley was a solid left tackle for a long time, but probably not a Hall of Famer.
8) CB Aqib Talib
Talib is the final first-time eligible player who I don’t think will eventually make it to Canton. He starred in relative anonymity for the Buccaneers before joining the Pats in a 2012 trade and eventually winning Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos.
While Talib will be remembered as a physical, feisty cornerback central to Denver’s “No-Fly Zone,” he shouldn’t be waiting on a gold jacket.
7) S Earl Thomas
The consummate center fielder in Pete Carroll’s Cover-3 defense, Thomas and the “Legion of Boom” helped the Seahawks roll out one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history. Seattle could never replicate its success after Thomas left for the Ravens, while coaches around the league tried in vain to find free safeties who could replicate his range.
He’ll probably get in at some point, but his recent off-field issues may have clouded his status in the eyes of voters.
6) G Marshal Yanda
Yanda should eventually enter the Hall of Fame, but it’s never easy for guards. Jahri Evans ranks above Yanda on Pro Football Refence’s Hall of Fame monitor and still hasn’t gotten in despite retiring after the 2017 season.
Yanda was a seven-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Ravens. He was a top-four guard in Pro Football Focus’ grades in seven of eight healthy seasons from 2011 to 2019.
5) RB Marshawn Lynch
Lynch was utterly dominant for the Seahawks from 2011 to 2014, when he averaged a 1,339-12 line as one of the NFL’s best running backs.
The @Seahawks' Greatest Moment: Beastquake
To vote for this as the Greatest Moment in NFL History, go to https://t.co/7lKIkPlnlj. #NFL100 pic.twitter.com/8BcegNdACL
— NFL (@NFL) January 2, 2020
But the stats hardly matter here. Lynch was the driving force behind the “Beast Quake,” one of the more memorable plays in NFL history, while his personality and charisma have kept him in the limelight ever since.
NFL fans might revolt if “Beast Mode” doesn’t make it to Canton.
4) LB Luke Kuechly
A member of the NFL’s All-2010s Team, Kuechly filled up the stat sheet from the second he stepped on the field for the Panthers in 2012. He brought home DROY and DPOY trophies in his first two NFL campaigns and made seven All-Pro teams (six first-team) in eight seasons.
Longevity will be an issue. Kuechyl retired at age 28, having appeared in only 118 games. Still, he’s No. 5 on PFR’s LB HOF monitor, trailing only Ray Lewis, Mike Singletary, Jack Lambert, and Dick Butkus, all of whom are already enshrined.
3) EDGE Terrell Suggs
Suggs will likely enter Canton in 2025 after a 17-year NFL career that saw him earn seven Pro Bowl berths. A first-round pick in 2003, Suggs won Defensive Rookie of the Year for the Ravens before picking a DPOY award eight years later.
Suggss’ 139 career sacks rank eighth on the NFL’s official all-time list. He won two Super Bowls, one with Baltimore and another with the Chiefs in his final NFL campaign.
2) K Adam Vinatieri
There are only four kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but Vinatieri will likely join that group — Morten Andersen, Jan Stenerud, George Blanda, and Lou Groza — in 2025.
ADAM VINATIERI. 51 YARDS. FOR THE WIN. #DENvsIND pic.twitter.com/9x7xjko7EO
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2019
Vinatieri scored more points, made more field goals, and converted more extra points than any player in NFL history. He hit two Super Bowl-winning kicks, plus two more memorable boots against the Raiders in the snowy 2001 AFC title game.
1) QB Eli Manning
Does Manning deserve to get into the Hall of Fame based strictly on his individual production?
No. He was never considered an elite quarterback compared to his peers. Manning never led the NFL in any single passing metric, unless you want to count interceptions (2007, 2010, 2013). He was distinctly above league average, but even in his career-best 2011 campaign, Manning didn’t receive any votes for MVP.
But it’s probably not going to matter. The only quarterback who won two Super Bowls and isn’t in the Hall of Fame is Jim Plunkett.
Manning hails from a legendary football family, is a former No. 1 overall pick, and won two rings in the country’s largest media market. He’s a lock to get into Canton on his first try.