X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Canton Bound? Active NFL Players Who Are Locks To Make The Pro Football Hall Of Fame

Aaron Donald - Fantasy Football Rankings, IDP Draft Sleepers, Defense (DST)

Andrew Ball breaks down which active players are locks to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame when their careers come to an end and others who might just make the cut.

There are legends of the game, then there are the living legends; the players we're actively watching who are already some of the best football has ever seen.

There are a handful of former players still searching for their gold jacket, left out of Canton because their accomplishments came just short. Meanwhile, current players are building their resumes to take the spots of the men that came before them.

Below, we'll dissect which current players are guaranteed to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame and discuss which guys may have to wait through a few ballots before they reach legend status.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback

If Patrick Mahomes abruptly retired tomorrow, he'd still be a lock for Canton. The question remains whether he'll continue to add to his career accolades to place him as the greatest of all time.

No. 15 is a three-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Super Bowl MVP, two-time MVP, and six-time Pro Bowler. He's in his prime and well-positioned to add more hardware to his trophy case. By the end of his career, football fans could be arguing Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes just as basketball fans debate LeBron vs. Jordan.

 

Travis Kelce, Tight End

Mahomes' running mate, Travis Kelce, will have a bust in Ohio before Mahomes retires. Even before Taylor Swift, Kelce was one of the most recognizable names in football. His play did the talking.

Just like his quarterback, Kelce is a three-time Super Bowl champion. He's also a nine-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro, and was named to the 2010 All-Decade team. While Mahomes is chasing Brady for the major records, Kelce already has one of his own. He surpassed Jerry Rice for most postseason catches, although he still trails the Hall of Famer in yards and touchdowns. He could surpass those marks with another Super Bowl run.

Kelce's brother, Jason, who retired after the 2023 season, should also find himself in Canton sooner rather than later.

 

Aaron Donald, Defensive Tackle

Aaron Donald was also named to the 2010 All-Decade team but the accolades only begin there. He's never been absent from the Pro Bowl. He only missed being named an All-Pro in his rookie and the injury-riddled 2022 seasons. Donald also has three Defensive Player of the Year trophies, plus a Defensive Rookie of the Year title to boot.

His 111 career sacks rank 28th all time and first among players who primarily line up as a defensive tackle. Donald recorded 20.5 sacks in his 2018 campaign, two shy of the all-time, single-season record. Two sacks in Super Bowl LVI, including the game-clinching stop, cemented his legacy.

There are no blemishes on his resume. Donald will be gifted a gold jacket the first time he appears on the ballot.

 

Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback

Two Chiefs and two Aarons. I promise after Rodgers we'll diversify the list.

Although Rodgers only has one Super Bowl ring to his name, his four MVP trophies clinch his spot in Canton. Those were earned over the likes of Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees in their primes, plus Mahomes and Lamar Jackson as they ascended to elite status. Longevity is also his ally, now entering his 20th season and 17th as a starter.

Should Rodgers have another productive season as a 40-year-old, he'll move past Hall of Famer Dan Marino on the all-time passing yards list and has a decent shot at jumping Matt Ryan as well. If Rodgers manages to toss 34 touchdowns and rejuvenate the New York offense, he'll roll past his mentor Brett Favre.

 

Zack Martin, Offensive Guard

The resumes for offensive linemen can be harder to judge given there aren't stats to back up the argument, especially in the run game. Rather, Zack Martin passes the eye test as one of the best guards in this era.

Martin was also named to the 2010 All-Decade team, leading the way to explosive seasons for DeMarco Murray, Ezekiel Elliott, and Tony Pollard. Murray was an above-average running back in his three seasons before Martin arrived in Dallas. Martin, Travis Frederick, and Tyron Smith paved the way for Murray to lead the league in rushing yards and touchdowns. Even Darren McFadden had his second 1,000-yard season running behind Martin before the team drafted Elliott, who we know put up All-Pro numbers on more than one occasion.

And all of that just applies to the running game. Martin has given a clean pocket to Tony Romo and Dak Prescott season after season. Martin may not be a first ballot inductee due to his position, but he'll find a spot in Canton eventually.

 

Von Miller, Edge-Rusher

When Aaron Donald logged two sacks in the Super Bowl, Von Miller matched him. His first Super Bowl conquest was far more impressive, registering 2.5 sacks in both the AFC Championship Game (where he also snagged an interception) and Super Bowl 50 (forcing a fumble that was recovered in the end zone, setting the tone for the rest of the game). That led to him being one of just a handful of defensive players to win Super Bowl MVP.

Miller's play has slipped since he arrived in Buffalo. Injuries and age are beginning to catch up to him, leaving many football fans to forget just how dominant he was in his Denver days. There's a reason he was named to the Pro Bowl eight times and first-team All-Pro on three occasions.

 

Justin Tucker, Kicker

A kicker? In the Hall of Fame? Better believe it.

There are only two pure kickers enshrined, Morten Andersen and Jan Stenerud. The other two, Lou Groza and George Blanda, played other positions during their prolific careers.

Justin Tucker should be the fourth (Adam Vinatieri, the league's all-time leading scorer, is eligible for the first time in 2025). Tucker (90.18%) holds a slim lead over Harrison Butker (89.14%) for the most accurate kicker in NFL history. He's led the league in field goals attempted and made in several seasons and holds the record for the longest-made attempt (66 yards).

A five-time All-Pro selection, Tucker's middle name may as well be Automatic. And he'll be a near-automatic qualifier for the Hall of Fame.

 

Honorable Mentions

There's a case to be made for a bevy of current NFL players who don't quite have the accomplishments to be surefire Hall of Famers. Former Seahawks safety Earl Thomas will be on the ballot for the first time in 2025, and as the best free safety in the league during his time, he's a popular choice to be enshrined. Bobby Wagner, the 1B to Luke Kuechly as the best middle linebacker in that era and Thomas' teammate, also deserves a spot.

Trent Williams, Tyron Smith, Lane Johnson, and Jason Peters stand out as the offensive tackles most likely to find a spot in Canton. Now 42 years old, Peters is still hanging on to his playing career.

Could we see another pair of brothers in the Hall of Fame together? J.J. Watt will be a first-ballot selection and his brother T.J. will be the same if he continues his career trajectory.

As much as he gets dogged in his current situation, Russell Wilson did lead Seattle to a Super Bowl and was named to the Pro Bowl nine times. As is the case for MVP candidacy, voters favor quarterbacks, especially ones that win a title.

Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Calais Campbell, Cameron Jordan, Cameron Heyward, and Patrick Peterson all have a case at their respective positions, but none of them are locks.

Finally, we reach the wide receivers, the most difficult position to pin down. Julio Jones' resume will be tough to turn away. Tyreek Hill, if he continues to be the best receiver in football, will have the metrics, even if he cuts his career short on his own accord. Davante Adams recovered from a slow start to his career to put up gaudy numbers, even without Aaron Rodgers. Then there's Mike Evans, the only receiver to begin his career with 10-straight 1,000-yard seasons. He's one campaign away from tying Jerry Rice for the record.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NFL

Cowboys Don't Feel Forced To Draft A Running Back
Emmanuel Rodriguez

Has Quiet Start To 2025
Jeff McNeil

Hitting Eighth In Season Debut
Brandon Sproat

Coughs Up Six Earned Runs In Latest Start
Eury Pérez

Eury Perez To Start Rehab Assignment On Saturday
Bailey Falter

Good To Go To Start On Sunday Against Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw

Has Successful Second Rehab Outing
Tyler Glasnow

Will Start On Sunday Against Pirates
Francisco Alvarez

Reinstated From Injured List, Starting On Friday
Merrill Kelly

To Make His Next Start On Saturday
Jeffrey Springs

Cleared To Start On Saturday Against White Sox
Ryan Jeffers

To See More Work Behind The Plate
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Friday
Taijuan Walker

Starting On Friday Against Cubs
Javier Assad

Dealing With Grade 2 Oblique Strain
Ryan Pressly

Status TBD For Friday's Game
Seiya Suzuki

Returns For Series Opener Against Phillies
Willy Adames

Knocks In Go-Ahead Run In Win
Wilyer Abreu

Cools After Hot Start
Vinnie Pasquantino

Continues Dismal Start
Will Levis

Could Be Traded Soon
Josh Naylor

Drives In Run In Loss
Bryce Young

Wanted Panthers To Take Tetairoa McMillan
Travis Hunter

Jaguars Plan To Start Travis Hunter In The Receiver Room
Garrett Crochet

Dealt Second Loss
Detroit Lions

Lions Pick Up Aidan Hutchinson's Fifth-Year Option
Jameson Williams

Lions Exercise Jameson Williams' Fifth-Year Option
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jameson Williams

Lions Didn't Entertain Trade Offers For Jameson Williams
Qadir Ismail

Raiders Sign Qadir Ismail
New York Giants

Giants Plan To Exercise Kayvon Thibodeaux's Fifth-Year Option
Russell Wilson

Will Be Giants Starting Quarterback
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Close Out The First Round With Josh Simmons
Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Trade Up One Spot In First Round To Select Jihaad Campbell
Buffalo Bills

Bills Address Secondary And Take Maxwell Hairston With 30th Overall Pick
NFL

Eagles, Chiefs Swap First-Round Picks
Washington Commanders

Josh Conerly Jr. Goes At No. 29 Overall To Commanders
Jaxson Dart

Giants Trade Up For Jaxson Dart At No. 25
Detroit Lions

Tyleik Williams Taken By Lions At No. 28 Overall
Baltimore Ravens

Ravens Go With Malaki Starks At No. 27 Overall In NFL Draft
Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Takes Donovan Jackson No. 24 Overall
NFL

Rams Trade The 26th Pick In The 2025 NFL Draft To The Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons Trade Back Into First Round To Draft James Pearce Jr. At No. 26 Overall
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Isaiah Stewart

Remains Out For Game 3
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Linus Ullmark

Attempts To Overcome Playoff Struggles Thursday
Anthony Cirelli

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Logan Thompson

Comes Up Big In Game 2
Connor McMichael

Strikes Twice In Wednesday's Win
Anze Kopitar

Tallies Four Points In Game 2 Victory
Adrian Kempe

Notches Two Goals, Two Assists In Wednesday's Win
Tyler Seguin

Gives Stars Series Lead With Overtime Winner
Tyler Herro

Scores Game-High 33 Points In Wednesday's Loss
Donovan Mitchell

Fires In 30 Points In Game 2 Win
Paolo Banchero

Notches 32 Points In Game 2 Loss
Jaylen Brown

Posts 36-Point Double-Double Wednesday
Jalen Green

Erupts For 38 Points In Game 2 Victory
Brandin Podziemski

Limited To 14 Minutes Wednesday
Jimmy Butler III

Set For MRI Thursday
Brandin Podziemski

Upgraded To Available
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Michael Porter Jr.

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Davion Mitchell

Moves Into Starting Lineup Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Al Horford

Starts Game 2
Michael Porter Jr.

Practices On Wednesday
Jayson Tatum

Out On Wednesday
Isaiah Stewart

May Miss Another Game Thursday
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF