Five Choices for Hall's Class of 2024

 By John Turney 

Predictions for each year's Pro Football Hall of Fame's class are always hard, and always fun. These are my guesses for the Class of 2024. The voters are meeting today to present cases and discuss. The Hall's 

I think the players with the best chances are ….

1. Julius Peppers -- who is in the upper echelon among defensive ends in longevity, sacks and Pro Bowls – should make the Hall in his first year of eligibility.

2. Tight end Antonio Gates should also be a first-ballot selection. He caught more touchdown passes than any of the three wide receivers in the Final 15.

3. Of the three wide receivers, I think Andre Johnson jumps to the front of the queue. He was just different physically and was harder for defenses for defenses to find an answer for. He made it to the final 10 last year, surviving the first cut.

4. Patrick Willis, the 49ers’ linebacker, was a first-team All-Pro more than any of the finalists despite having his career cut short by injury.

5. The final slot is the toughest. Will it be a second wide receiver … Holt or Wayne? Like Johnson, both were in last year’s Top 10, surviving the cut from 15. A second pass rusher? Jared Allen was in the final 10, too. But I will go with a sleeper: Right tackle Willie Anderson. There has been an emphasis lately on looking at blockers and tackles, and Anderson has been the blocker most talked about in recent years.

6. Broncos inside linebacker Randy Gradishar, I think, will garner the necessary 80 percent of the votes to  finally get

7. Art Powell, one of the AFL's top receivers, was a surprise in the senior's category but he'll be voted in but there is no sense that he's a lock like McMichael and Gradishar. 

8. As one of the best 4-3 defensive tackles in history -- 95 career sacks -- Steve McMichael won't be snubbed. He'll get a Gold Jacket.

That's it. The coach candidate will have a tough time. Lions and Steelers head coach been snubbed all these years (he's been out of coaching since 1964) and probably will be snubbed again.

Who servives first cut? Jared Allen was in it last year, so would go with him. Torry Holt should repeat in the top ten. Dwight Freeney should move up. So should Devin Hester. Guessing they will go with a defensive back, but who? Darren Woodson edges Eric Allen and Reggie Wayne in my opinion. 

That's my best projection.