Zack Martin—A Clear-cut First-ballot Hall of Famer, Right?

By John Turney 

Picture this: A gap so wide that it reminds you of the Grand Canyon.

That's the distance that separated former Cowboys' guard Zack Martin from the competition ... and that's not me speaking. It's the late Mike Giddings, founder of Proscout, Inc., an NFL scouting service. He once said there was as much daylight between Martin and the league's second-best guard as there was between legendary center Dwight Stephenson and whoever was next at center.

There is no higher praise. Giddings graded Stephenson as high as any center in what he called "the Proscout era."

But then his scouting firm graded Martin as its top guard in his rookie season ... and again for a second consecutive year ... and then a string of seasons where he again ranked first like (you guessed it) Dwight Stephenson. But that's just for openers when evaluating Martin, who retired recently announced his retirement. So, buckle up. It’s the kind of seismic praise we’re dealing with here.

And it's the kind of seismic praise that the Hall's board of selectors should consider when it meets in 2030 to chew over Martin's resume. If it does, guaranteed, voters won't have to ask, “Does this guy belong?" Instead, they'll say, "Do we let him waltz in on the first ballot, or do we embarrass ourselves by making him wait five minutes?"

Giddings laid out their choice as plain as day. Martin wasn’t just the best guard of his era, with a chasm between him and those jockeying for second place. He was one of the greatest at his position ... ever.

But he wasn't alone. All-Pro voters? They loved Martin. Coaches? Smitten. Players picking Pro Bowl squads and the NFL Network's Top 100 list, that annual flex-fest where the league’s best are ranked regardless of position? They couldn’t get enough of him. From 2017-24, Martin was a fixture on the list, often as the only guard. 

If you have video of those programs, rewind them to listen to the commentary. It supports those who view Martin as one of the all-time great linemen on either side of the ball, with accolades such as these:

"Dominates guys," said Pro Bowl defensive lineman Mike Daniels. "Good fundamental player, strong at the point and you ain't going to get by him to get the to the QB. His pass blocking is so phenomenal. He's the best pass-blocking guard in the NFL, hands down."

-- "Dominating run blocker, dominating pass blocker," said former Eagles' center Jason Kelce. "Zack’s got no weak spot."

-- "He's the gold standard," said Philadelphia All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson. "Strong ... never out of balance ... always going to the whistle. When I see him, he's a guy that is just like a robot -- not very many mistakes. That's why he's such a great player. His feet are constantly moving. He's constantly kicking ass -- that is just what he does."

But why stop there? Let's go back to 2014, the year Dallas made Martin a first-round draft choice, and see what scouts and draft "experts" had to say about him then: 

--  "Moves you off the ball in the run game and does not let you get to the QB in the pass game."

--  Road grader. Big physical specimen. Moves well. Hard to move him in his pass set." 

--  "He was coached really well. That is something you can tell about a player. He was coached really well from the beginning because his technique has grown with him." 

--  "You're talking about a player who demolishes people on Sundays."

-- "He could be an All-Pro at tackle, an All-Pro at center. Versatile."

-- "He's my dog. (In college), he was a freak at left tackle. He could play left tackle in the league if he wanted to." 

-- "Mr. Consistency."

-- Makes it look easy. Good feet good hands." 

--"No plays off. You get his best every play." 

Then you get to Martin's resume, and it speaks for itself.

The former Notre Dame star was among the most decorated offensive linemen in NFL history -- with eight consensus first-team All-Pro selections, nine Pro Bowls and an all-decade choice, even though he played only six seasons from 2010-19. Among guards, only John Hannah and Bruce Matthews were consensus first-team All-Pros more (both had nine), though Matthews earned a couple as a center. 

Martin's total was the same as Randall McDaniel's and more than Hall-of-Famers Jim Parker (seven), Larry Allen and Steve Hutchinson (six each) and Dick Stanfel, Alan Faneca, Joe DeLamielleure and Larry Little (five). It's also more than former tackle Anthony Munoz (seven), whom some consider the best offensive lineman ever.

That's the kind of company Martin keeps, and I can't imagine voters need much more to induct him immediately. 

If they did, however, they can dig a little deeper. For instance, Martin played so cleanly that he was flagged for holding just seven times in his career, prompting Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller to say that the stat "blew my mind. I get more holding calls in one game than he gets in ten years. "

In all, Martin was flagged for 21 penalties (holds, false starts, etc.), with 12 of those in his first two seasons. After that, he averaged less than one a year. By comparison, Eagles' center Jason Kelce -- also a perennial All-Pro -- was penalized 61 times in his 13-year career, including 32 for holding. Furthermore, the NFL's top tackle of the last decade -- San Francisco's Trent Williams -- was called for 91, while Baltimore's Marshal Yande -- an All-Pro guard who was a Hall finalist this year -- committed 43 penalties in 13 seasons.

You get the idea. Martin didn't stop drives.

Then there's this: He blocked for two NFL rushing champions -- DeMarco Murray (2014) and  Ezekiel Elliott (2016 and 2018) -- while Dallas ran for more yards during his career than all but three teams (Baltimore, Philadelphia and Buffalo). One difference: All three had quarterbacks who ran and ran a lot. So, if you're talking about the NFL's top traditional running games, the Cowboys ranked first.

If there's a downside -- and you have to look hard to find anything -- it's that the Cowboys never won a Super Bowl. In fact, they haven't even been to one since 1995). So maybe, just maybe, Canton's voters hold that against him when he's considered on the first ballot.

I hope not. Because they shouldn't. 

Hannah didn't get a ring. Neither did Bruce Matthews. Nor did first-ballot tackles Anthony Munoz and Walter Jones. Moreover, first-ballot Hall-of-Famer Joe Thomas never even played in a postseason game.

So throw out that potential obstacle. 

Predicting the future for Hall-of-Fame aspirants can be dicey. After all, even the great Randall McDaniel, whose resume mirrors Martin’s in some ways, had to wait a couple of years on Canton. And Will Shields? He went to 12 Pro Bowls in 14 seasons and was a seven-time All-Pro, yet wasn't elected to Canton until his fourth try as a finalist. 

But let’s not kid ourselves. Zack Martin is as close to a slam dunk for Canton as it gets. Towering over his peers, supported by a mountain of All-Pro honors and armed with glowing testimony from those who matter, Martin should walk into the Hall on the first ballot. 

Anything less would be crazy.