By John Turney 
It's not surprising that Baltimore Ravens' All-Pro guard Marshal Yanda is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. But when the Hall's board of selectors meets this month, it would be surprising if he's inducted ... and not because he's doesn't have a good case.
No, it may because of the position he plays -- guard.
Of the 13 modern-era offensive linemen enshrined on their first attempt, only three primarily have been guards -- Gene Upshaw, John Hannah and Larry Allen. One other -- Bruce Matthews -- played a significant part of his career as a guard but played eight of his 17 seasons at center or tackle.
If you count him, that's four.
Now compare that to the seven tackles who've been first-ballot Hall-of-Famers. Theoretically, the two should be equal. There are as many guards as tackles on a football field. But, as the numbers indicate, equal they're not. Yet, when Yanda retired, his coach called him a "first-ballot player." Others at the time did, too.
So can he beat the odds and become the fourth pure guard to reach Canton on his first try?
Let's explore.
First, Yanda did play some at tackle. So did Larry Allen. But it wasn't enough time not to consider him a guard. Plus, there were others who played guard but spent the majority of their careers at other positions, such as Hall-of-Famers Jim Parker and Forrest Gregg. So Yanda is ... and should be considered ... a guard, and, as such, he was voted to the NFL's all-decade team for the 2010s.
That's a good start when looking at a player's dominance. It means when Hall voters submitted their all-decade ballots, Yanda's name was on the majority of them ... as in one of the best.
Yanda was an All-Pro five times (twice by consensus) and went to eight Pro Bowls—the same number as Upshaw. And, like Upshaw, he played on a Super Bowl championship team.
Hmmm, All-Pro and a winner ... as in one of the best.
But Pro Bowls are not always an indication of the best players. After all, each conference selects three guards, so it's more a list of the top six -- or eight, if someone is hurt and replaced. Consensus All-Pros are a better barometer. They traditionally mean a player is one of the top two guards on at least two of the three recognized teams. Twice Yanda reached that level, and in three other seasons he made at least one of them.
This translates into Yanda being one of the very best.
But there is more. Consider what his opponents and teammates think. In the NFL's annual poll of players for its "NFL's Top 100" program, Yanda four times was named the NFL's highest-ranking guard.
Highest-ranking ... as in the best.
"He's technical, he's tough, he's strong and he's a monster," said the Packers' Pro Bowl defensive lineman, Mike Daniels.
Rams' defensive tackle Michael Brockers, on the other hand, was more impressed with his Yanda's intelligence.
"It's a mind game with him," he said. "You're playing checkers. and he's playing chess."
Then there's Packers' Pro Bowl guard Josh Sitton, who talked about Yanda's grit.
"Toughness is the first word when you think about Marshal," he said. "He just doesn't get beat."
However, it was future Hall-of-Famer Cam Heyward of the Steelers who had the highest praise of the Ravens' star guard, saying, "Hands down, he's THE best guard in the NFL."
As in the best.
Yanda was someone who could be counted on. He would play hurt and do what coaches asked of him. When one of the Ravens' tackles was sidelined by injury, for instance, he moved over to replace him. Without complaint.
Then there was the year when he injured a shoulder and switched from the right to the left side of the line so he could get on the field. The move allowed him to protect his injured shoulder and still perform at a high level.
"The way he can play every position," said Heward, "there is no dropoff (in play)."
But, toughness was what was expected when the Ravens chose the Iowa lineman in the third round (86th overall) of the 2007 NFL draft, and that's what they got. But if that's not enough for you. Maybe you're into analytics and internet sites like Pro Football Focus (PFF). If you are ... and Marshal Yanda is your guy .. you'll be pleased.
"Yanda spent his entire 13-year career in Baltimore," PFF said,"and produced a PFF grade above 80.0 in every one of those seasons. While he was a guard for most of his career, he started at right tackle as a rookie and was one of the best in the league, so he very well could have been a Hall of Fame-caliber tackle, too."
The PFF grade for his career was 93.0 on 12,257 snaps -- the second highest for any Ravens' player since the organization was established. Five times he made their All-Pro team, while he reached the second-team a sixth year and twice was named PFF's top offensive lineman. Guard, center, tackle. It didn't matter.
As in the best.
OK, so maybe PFF is not your cup of tea. Then let's check out Proscout, Inc., the independent scouting firm that graded all NFL players since the mid-1970s. Yanda received a grade of "blue" (their highest) in nine of 13 seasons.
"Best offensive guard technician," founder Mike Giddings said of the 6-3, 315-pounder. "Angles won most run blocks. Pass-protection is an elite combination of 'slide and hand pop.' Sound plus quick plus tough. Twice No. 1 (in their evaluations)"
Number one. As in the best.
When he retired, Hall-of-Fame linebacker Ray Lewis told the media, "When you think about who you would want as a teammate, Marshal is at the top of the list. His effort every day to be the best at his craft was amazing to watch. Every time he stepped on the field, you knew you were getting everything he had."
"Top of the list," as in the best.
Again.
It's clear that Marshal Yanda will have a bust in Canton someday. The only question is when. When you look closely at his career, first-ballot doesn't seem out of the question. However, history tells us to beware. He was a guard, and voters are slow to act on them.
So stay tuned. We'll all find out Thursday, February 13, when the Hall's Class of 2025 is revealed.
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