Barnwell Tiers NFC West Hall of Fame Locks: Stafford, Garrett, Evans
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- Bill Barnwell sorted current players into five tiers — 'in,' 'on the cusp,' 'keep it up,' 'work to do,' and 'missing out' — using 55 Hall of Famers from the 2002 season (about 3% of players who suited up) as a historical benchmark.
- Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams, and Myles Garrett (Rams) are all locks; Stafford's case was sealed by last season's MVP, a Super Bowl win, and top-seven career passing yards and touchdowns.
- Mike Evans, Trent Williams, and Christian McCaffrey (49ers) are also locks, with Evans and Williams called easy first-ballot picks and McCaffrey's case surviving injury questions because he has had multiple seasons as the best running back in football.
- Budda Baker (Cardinals) is on the cusp with eight Pro Bowls across nine seasons; every eligible player with at least 10 Pro Bowl nods has been enshrined, so he needs two more — or possibly one — to become a lock.
- George Kittle and Fred Warner (49ers) are also on the cusp but both suffered serious injuries last season; Kittle has seven Pro Bowls in eight campaigns with four 1,000-yard seasons, while Warner had four first-team All-Pro nods over a five-year span.
- Kyle Juszczyk earned his 10th consecutive Pro Bowl but lands in the 'missing out' tier — he plays only about half of offensive snaps, and the 49ers tried to cut him this offseason, saving $500,000 before re-signing him.
- Seattle's roster has no players in the 'in' or 'on the cusp' tiers; Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Offensive Player of the Year) and Devon Witherspoon — just the 10th defensive back ever to start his career with three straight Pro Bowls — lead the 'keep it up' group.
Why it matters: The Juszczyk case is a real stress test for Canton: every eligible player with 10 Pro Bowls has been enshrined, but the 49ers' willingness to cut a 10-time Pro Bowler (saving only $500,000) reveals how the league values the fullback position, while Patriots special-teamer Matthew Slater's Hall bid could break that 10-Pro Bowl correlation entirely.
