Another year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class is upon us, and although there are numerous excellent players that are up for induction this year, this induction class can only have five people according to the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, this means that some of our favorite players will be stuck waiting for at least another year, but here we’re going to predict which five players will make the final cut for the 2024 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Torry Holt, Wide Receiver -1999-2009 (Rams, Jaguars)

Many have been surprised by how long it is taking for Torry Holt to get his gold jacket, as he was one of the better receivers in the NFL for about a decade. Holt recorded eight straight 1,000 yard receiving seasons from 2000-2007, all of which being over 1,150 yards at that. Holt ranks 17th all time in receiving yards with an impressive total of 13,382, putting him ahead of legends such as Michael Irvin and Steve Largent. Holt was also a crucial part of the famous “Greatest Show on Turf” offense along with Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Isaac Bruce, which had him appear in two Super Bowls and win one of them. When looking at the shortlist of the best receivers of all time, there aren’t many with a better resume than Torry Holt, and I predict this will be the year he finally makes the cut to get into the Hall of Fame.

Julius Peppers, Defensive End - 2002-2018 (Panthers, Bears, Packers)

There’s been very few defensive ends in the history of the NFL that have been as versatile and as talented as Julius Peppers, who made his mark on the NFL in his lengthy 17-year career. Despite his unmatched versatility for the position, Peppers still excelled in the traditional responsibilities for a defensive end, finishing his career with 159.5 sacks, which ranks him fourth all time. Peppers was not only statistically dominant in his prime, but was extremely consistent over his whole career, having an astounding 10 double-digit sack seasons and six seasons with four or more forced fumbles. Between his unmatched longevity, versatility, and statistical dominance, Peppers should be a sure-fire Hall of Famer.

Antonio Gates, Tight End - 2003-2018 (Chargers)

16 seasons, 116 touchdowns, 955 catches, and 11,841 yards; these numbers would be extremely impressive for a wide receiver, let alone a tight end. Few players have been as consistent as Antonio Gates throughout their career, and even fewer have the longevity that he had at such a physical position. Gates ranks third all time in receptions and receiving yards by a tight end, and first in receiving touchdowns by a tight end, ahead of legends such as Tony Gonzalez, Rob Gronkowski, and Shannon Sharpe. When looking at the shortlist of the best tight ends of all time, Gates' name has to be mentioned, and he deserves his gold jacket for his long and dominant career with the Chargers. 

Patrick Willis, Linebacker - 2007-2014 (49ers)

Although many feel as if Patrick Willis’ career wasn’t long enough to be a true Hall of Famer, he made the absolute most of his time on the field. Patrick Willis came onto the scene hot in his rookie year in 2007, winning defensive rookie of the year, being named 1st team all-pro, being named to the pro bowl, and even receiving some defensive player of the year votes. Willis continued on this dominant start to his career, following it up with five straight all-pro seasons and six more pro bowls before injuries forced him to retire prematurely in 2014. While I understand why some feel that his relatively shorter career hurts his legacy, numerous other players retired while they were still dominant and were inducted into the hall of fame, such as Terrell Davis, Kenny Easley, and Calvin Johnson. When it comes down to brass tacks, although his career wasn’t the longest, few defensive players have ever been as dominant as Patrick Willis when he was on the field.

Reggie Wayne, Wide Receiver - 2001-2014 (Colts)

This fifth and final spot was a tough decision between Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson, but Wayne slightly edges out Johnson statistically, as well as having a Super Bowl on his resume in 2006. Wayne was a dominant receiver for the majority of his career, where after taking a few years to really get going, he started a streak of consecutive 1,000 yard seasons in 2004 that would last seven years. Finishing his career with 1,070 catches and 14,345 yards, Wayne ranks 10th all-time in both categories; and his total of 82 touchdowns, while not being quite as highly ranked, is still more than legends such as Chad Johnson, Torry Holt and Michael Irvin. With Andre Johnson barely missing the cut in this spot, I predict that he will be a surefire member of the next hall of fame class after these five are inducted.