Pro Football Hall of Fame: Class of 2027 modern-era predictions
Watch the most dominant plays of Adrian Peterson's NFL career.
As the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class readies to take its place in Canton, Ohio, commendation is in order for Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri.
Gazing ahead into the glory that will be bestowed upon the 2027 class, perhaps the safest prognostication in the years ahead is that there are, indeed, no locks.
Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest head football coach in the history of the game, did not gain entry in his first year of eligibility. Though this exercise sticks to the script of predicting modern-era players who will be inducted, let me begin with the bonus pick that Belichick's wait will carry on no longer and the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach will get his bust in 2027.
Now, here are my predictions for the modern-era players who will be going in with Belichick next year.
Willie Anderson, OT
Cincinnati Bengals, 1996-2007; Baltimore Ravens, 2008
The Bengals all-time great’s wait ends as he finally gets the knock and fitted for the gold jacket. The stellar right tackle has been a Canton finalist for five consecutive years, and it’s well past time that he hears his name called to walk onto the stage at NFL Honors. Perhaps it will be fitting, as Anderson didn’t get voted to his first Pro Bowl until his eighth season in 2003. It began a string of four straight Pro Bowl campaigns for him, while the 2004 season was the first of his three straight All-Pro years. In the days before Pro Football Focus and Next Gen Stats, identifying elite linemen was a far more arduous endeavor, especially if you played for a team that seldom punched a postseason ticket. Anderson’s Bengals only went to the playoffs once. The recognition is overdue.
Rob Gronkowski, TE
New England Patriots, 2010-2018; Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2020-2021
This will be a big class for the Patriots dynasty with probable first-ballot Hall of Famer Gronk very likely to be joined by his longtime head coach Bill Belichick (there’s no way he’s not going in for a second year in a row). Beloved as Gronkowski is for being the gregarious, uber-jock Gronk, it can overshadow what a supreme talent he was during his career. A bruising blocker, the four-time Super Bowl winner was historically productive despite missing significant time due to injury: 621 receptions (10th all time among tight ends), 9,286 yards (sixth) and 92 receiving touchdowns (third). His 2011 season was perhaps the finest in history for a tight end, as he earned the first of his four first-team All-Pro nods after posting 90 catches for 1,327 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns -- a single-season record for TEs. Gronk was a revolutionary talent and a focal point for one of the game’s defining dynasties.
Check out highlights from tight end Rob Gronkowski's career with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Torry Holt, WR
St. Louis Rams, 1999-2008; Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009
At long last, Holt can join his fellow “Fastest Show on Turf” brethren in Canton. Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce have been waiting for him for a while -- Holt has been a finalist seven years in a row. A one-time first-team All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl winner as a rookie with those 1999 Rams, Holt was a production machine. He ran up a streak of six straight seasons with 1,300-plus yards (tied for an NFL record) and eight in a row north of 1,100 yards. A member of the Hall of Fame’s All-2000s Team, Holt twice exceeded 1,600 yards in a season, earning a grand total of 13,382 in his career, which is good enough for 17th all time. If Holt gets a gold jacket, it would also be a boon for others like Reggie Wayne and Steve Smith, who are looking to get in down the road with 2028 unlikely to produce any first-ballot wideouts.
Adrian Peterson, RB
Minnesota Vikings, 2007-2016; New Orleans Saints, 2017; Arizona Cardinals, 2017; Washington, 2018-2019; Detroit Lions, 2020; Tennessee Titans, 2021; Seattle Seahawks, 2021
History might hold tight to Peterson as the last running back of a bygone era. Like so many before him, and really none since, Peterson was a back viewed as the best player in the league for a time and just as vital to success as the guy handing him the ball. Sixteen running backs have won the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award, but Peterson’s 2012 MVP was just the fourth this century, and the last, for a RB. Considering Saquon Barkley posed a 2,000-yard argument in 2024 and finished a distant No. 3 in the voting, Peterson could be the last RB to win MVP for a very long time -- if not ever. Peterson ranks fifth all time in rushing yards (14,918) and fifth in rushing TDs (120). Those numbers warrant a gold jacket, as do his seven Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pro nods and other hardware (2007 Offensive Rookie of the Year, 2012 Offensive Player of the Year). From his rookie year of 2007 through 2015, Peterson was seen as the best back in the NFL more often than not, with injuries usually the only thing slowing him down. He bounced around with six teams from 2017-2021, but he deserves a permanent roster spot in Canton in his first year of eligibility.
Jason Witten, TE
Dallas Cowboys, 2003-2017, 2019; Las Vegas Raiders, 2020
Will two tight ends head to Canton in the same class? It’s never happened before but can Witten really be denied again? In 16 seasons with the Cowboys (17 in his career), Witten went to the Pro Bowl 11 times. Tony Gonzalez’ 14 selections are the most all time for a tight end, with Witten and Travis Kelce (11 currently) trailing him. Those 11 selections are tied for 17th most across all positions. Tom Brady (15; most all time), Trent Williams (12) and Kelce are the only players with 11 or more Pro Bowl selections who are not Hall of Famers. Eventually, they will have a spot in Canton. Witten’s 1,228 receptions (second all time among tight ends), 13,046 yards (second) and 74 touchdown catches (sixth) are too prominent to ignore. The 2012 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year was consistently stellar. The Cowboys’ postseason struggles and being just a two-time first-team All-Pro could hinder him, but Witten was pivotal in the ascension of the position over the last quarter-century. So, it makes sense for him to be part of the Hall of Fame’s first-ever two-tight end class.
Other notable modern-era candidates: Jahri Evans, Frank Gore, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Richard Sherman, Steve Smith, Reggie Wayne, Darren Woodson, Marshal Yanda.