Projecting the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class

With the likes of Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, and Charles Woodson now permanently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, it’s time to think about the next class. Eight modern-era players were inducted along with former Raiders head coach Tom Flores, contributor Bill Nunn, and senior finalist Drew Pearson.

Who’s next? There are several candidates, including a few that are eligible for the first time. There are also several notable players that have been passed over in year’s past. Is this finally their time?

Wide Receiver Class

The 2022 Hall of Fame class could be made up of mostly wide receivers. For the first time, former Houston WR Andre Johnson is eligible. Johnson made the Pro Bowl seven times and was the NFL receiving leader in 2008 and 2009. He played 12 of his 14 NFL seasons with the Texans and retired with 1,062 receptions and 14,185 yards. 

From 2001 to 2014, Reggie Wayne played opposite Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. Now, it’s Wayne’s turn. A six-time Pro Bowler, Wayne ranks 10th in career receptions and 10th in all-time receiving yards in NFL history. He also won a Super Bowl ring with Harrison and Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning. Wayne led the NFL in receiving in 2007 with 1,510 yards. That season was part of seven straight in which Wayne had 1,000-plus yards receiving.

Steve Smith and Anquan Boldin are also eligible. Smith ranks eighth in all-time receiving yards. Boldin is ninth in all-time receptions. Former Steelers great Hines Ward was passed over for the fifth consecutive season. He was the MVP of the 2006 Super Bowl and finished a 14-year career with 1,000 receptions, 12,083 yards, and 85 touchdowns.

Is It Thomas’s Time?  

Former Miami Dolphins star Zach Thomas was supposedly too small, too slow, and too everything to be a great NFL linebacker. A fifth-round choice of the Dolphins in 1996, all Thomas did was become the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year then go on to make seven Pro Bowls. He was a first-team All-Pro five times and is a member of the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team. 

Thomas has already been a finalist for the Hall on two different occasions. He has yet to make the cut. With all of the wide receiver talent in the 2022 class, it remains to be seen if Thomas will finally be enshrined. 

Read more about Zach Thomas HoF case here

Boselli & Ware Are Locks

According to most experts, former Jacksonville OT Tony Boselli and pass rusher extraordinaire DeMarcus Ware are virtual locks to be selected to the Hall in 2022. Boselli was a three-time All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowler who would have earned several more had injuries not have cut his career short. He helped lead the Jaguars to two AFC title games.

Ware, who played from 2005-16, led the league in sacks twice in his nine years with Dallas. He recorded 117 sacks with the Cowboys then moved on to Denver where he played a role in the Broncos win over Carolina in Super Bowl 50. Ware had eight seasons in which he recorded at least 10 sacks. He is eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time in 2022.

Senior Nominee

The Raiders selected WR Cliff Branch with the 98th pick in the fourth round of the 1972 draft. Branch was also a track star at Colorado where he set an NCAA championship meet record of 10.0 in the 100 meters. His speed helped him lead the NFL in receiving yards and touchdowns as a rookie. He helped the Raiders win three Super Bowls and finished his career with 67 touchdown receptions.

Coaching Great

Coaching legend Dick Vermeil

The Philadelphia Eagles were struggling in the 1970s and turned to former UCLA head coach Dick Vermeil in 1976. Vermeil had just beaten Woody Hayes and Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. In two years, the Eagles would make the playoffs. Two years after that, Philadelphia would win the NFC and reach the Super Bowl.

Vermeil then took a 14-year break from coaching only to return to help rebuild a struggling Rams franchise. In 1999, Vermeil led the Rams to a 13-3 regular season record and a win over Tennessee in Super Bowl XXXIV. He finished his coaching career with 126 wins, several Coach of the Year awards, and a Super Bowl ring.