The Most Deserving Pro Football Hall of Fame Finalists

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 15 finalists for induction into the class of 2024, and there are several players with strong cases to put on the gold jacket during Super Bowl weekend.

Among the 15 modern-era finalists, five will be chosen for enshrinement by a 49-person committee who will debate the merits of each and ultimately vote on the 2024 class.

While I do not own a vote, nor sit on the selector committee, here's a look at the five players I would advocate for the strongest, if I had the privilege of being in the room:

Julius Peppers

Julius Peppers set the standard among pass rushers throughout his 17-year career, and has a strong case to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer in February. The only player in NFL history to produce over 100 sacks with 10 career interceptions, Peppers ranks fifth all-time with 159.5 sacks, with all four players above him having busts residing in Canton. The 2002 NFL Defensive Rookie of The Year, Peppers nine Pro Bowls, while being voted a First-Team All-Pro four times, and a second-team All-Pro selection three more seasons. Peppers is one of the greatest players to wear a Carolina Panthers uniform, and still logged 62.5 sacks across his seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

Eric Allen

Eric Allen was one of the most impactful and dominant defenders in an era of Eagles football that hasn't found its place in the lexicon of the league's greatest defenses simply because of Philadelphia's lack of postseason success. However, the 1991 Eagles finished No. 1 in every statistical category, and it is beyond time that the late Reggie White has some company in Canton from that era. Allen ranks 21st all-time with 54 interceptions, while returning eight of them for touchdowns. A six-time Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro selection in 1989, Allen saved some of his biggest moments for the postseason where he intercepted four passes more passes while logging a ninth interception return for a touchdown. Allen is one of the most prolific cornerbacks of his era, with a real chance of gaining enshrinement this year.

Antonio Gates

Few players made a more transcendent impact on his position than the way Antonio Gates changed the way tight ends are viewed and used across the NFL. Gates spent his entire career with the Chargers, catching 955 passes for 11,841 yards and 116 touchdowns, placing him third all-time among tight ends in receiving yards and first in receiving touchdowns at the position. With eight Pro Bowls, four First-Team All-Pro selections and a pair of Second-Team nods, Gates is one of the most decorated tight ends of all time. The fact that Gates revolutionized the tight end position throughout his dominant career make him a strong candidate to arrive in Canton as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Torry Holt

Torry Holt was an explosive member of the Rams' 'Greatest Show on Turf' era and one of the most productive wide receivers of all time. Holt twice finished as the league's leading receiver, while pulling down 920 receptions for 13,382 yards with74 touchdowns across his 11-year career. Given Holt's productivity, this seems like the time for the legendary receiver to join teammates Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, and Isaac Bruce in the Hall of Fame.

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Darren Woodson

Darren Woodson was a critical cog in the Cowboys' defense that helped power Dallas' 1990s dynasty. From 1992-2003, Woodson garnered four All-Pro selections and appeared in Five Pro Bowls. Finishing his career with 967 total tackles, and 11.0 sacks, Woodson intercepted 23 passes in his career while returning two of them for touchdowns. A three-time Super Bowl champion, Woodson is one of the greatest defensive backs of his era, and now that a logjam at the safety position has largely been cleared it could clear the way for him to gain enshrinement in his second year as a finalist.