In November, the for the 's Class of 2014 were revealed. Now that list is being narrowed to 15 finalists, who will be announced Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on NFL Network during a live special, "Pro Football Hall of Fame: The Final 15."
In the meantime, we asked NFL Media historian Elliot Harrison to rank the 25 semifinalists according to their chances at getting into the Hall this year. Hit up Elliot on Twitter __ to share your opinion.
1) : This guy was a hoss, and given how other recent big-time, multi-All-Pro linemen have fared (Jonathan Ogden and Larry Allen), I see no way Jones is left at the altar.
2) : Many were surprised that Strahan missed the cut last year. From what I've heard, that will not happen this time around; the single-season record holder for sacks will be donning a gold jacket come August.
3) : Brooks, batting in the three-hole here, is another player I feel is a lock. If Warren Sapp was a first-ballot guy, how could Brooks -- who made 11 teams, logged six pick-sixes (tied for most among linebackers) and won a ring as Sapp's teammate -- be left off? Come on.
4) : Put the off-the-field stuff aside, because the voters are supposed to consider what happened on the field.
5) : I think this is the year for Haley, who has some support and -- more importantly -- the most rings in NFL history (five). Haley also has 100.5 sacks. While that's certainly not the highest number ever, it shows that the guy who helped push two franchises to multiple Lombardi Trophies has enough in the statistical realm.
Harrison: Coaches for the Hall?
6) : While Dungy might end up on the outside looking in this year, his popularity, his status as a man who made a social impact within the coaching ranks, and, of course, his track record will eventually get him to Canton. Dungy probably shouldn't be ahead of Jimmy Johnson on this list, but the thought here is that his overall popularity will push him over the top.
7) : We love Greene as a player and think he should have received a bust in Canton long ago ... buuuuuuut he won't make it in 2014. Still, keeping his 160 career sacks out of the Hall forever doesn't seem palatable -- or likely.
8) : The Hall voters won't be on The Bus this year. Frankly, it's understandable when you look at Nos. 1 through 5 on our list. That said, Bettis deserves his spot at No. 8. Think of how few running backs are coming down the pike who will be able to get anywhere close to Bettis' 13,662 rushing yards ... Well, other than LaDainian Tomlinson, who isn't eligible until 2017.
9) : Shields might be the one former All-Pro on our Power Rankings many fans don't know. Voters do, though. Shields was a 12-time er.
10) : Some are beginning to wonder if it will ever happen for Brown -- however, the fact that he's been a finalist every year since he became eligible is a relatively strong indication that he'll eventually get in. He also should put some space between himself and Andre Reed over the coming years, given that Reed already has three teammates and a head coach enshrined in Canton. Oh, by the way: Brown is fifth all-time in catches (1,094).
11) : I sense there is growing momentum for Johnson, but not because of his Extenze ads. OK, so that was a poor play on words, but you get the point. Fans are starting to realize that repeating in the NFL has become almost impossible, and Johnson's Cowboys were one of the last teams to do it. Not to mention, the core that Johnson built won three out of four s. That's been done exactly twice ... like, ever.
12) : While Reed was a great player, he remains on the outside looking in, as he has just 951 catches -- 143 fewer than Brown -- and never had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Reed's candidacy is still spotty.
13) : This ranking might seem a bit high for the former owner of the San Francisco 49ers, but think about it this way ... The deeper the Niners go in the playoffs -- with the perhaps being their ultimate destination -- the more DeBartolo's five rings will come up. An owner is due to make it to Canton soon; don't be surprised if it's DeBartolo.
14) : He's the top safety out there. The key for Lynch, who has all the necessary honors and hardware, is getting in before Ed Reed and maybe Brian Dawkins -- who is eligible in 2017 -- come up. Playing safety makes for a lonely road to the Hall.
15) : One of the premier cover corners in an era that featured Deion Sanders and Rod Woodson, Williams was actually the better cover guy by Y2K. He has nine touchdowns on interception returns, tied for fourth all-time with Sanders and Ken Houston -- both of whom are in the .
16) : After talking to some people, the fear is that Davis doesn't quite have enough support to get to the next stage in the voting process. Still, he was the best running back of his time, however short that time was, which makes him a r in my book. After working with him on "NFL AM" and talking about the process with him, I can tell you he has a good attitude about the snubs. In fact, he jokingly lobbied voters on NFL Network's most recent special.
17) : Morten Andersen? 17th?! Yes. At some point, Andersen will join Jan Stenerud, the only player to this point to make the Hall solely as a kicker, in Canton. Adam Vinatieri will follow.
18) : The former commissioner clearly has support in the voters' room, as he's been a semifinalist eight times. It will become increasingly difficult to look away from the exponential growth experienced by the NFL during his stewardship from 1989 to 2006.
19) : One of the famed "Hogs," this former left tackle has three rings for a Washington Redskins team that doesn't have a ton of representation ... John Riggins, Art Monk, Darrell Green and Russ Grimm. That's it.
20) : Craig is the answer to a fun sports-bar trivia question ("Who is the first player to post 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a season?"), but I just don't see a lot of initiative for getting him into the Hall. .
21) : One of the hardest hitters to ever play the safety position, Atwater was -- and still is -- a very popular player. Lynch, however, will get the nod before the 21st potential r on our list.
22) : Yes, he was the founder of his namesake "Air Coryell" offense. But finding enough votes for a head coach who won just three playoff games is becoming tougher and tougher. Fair? No. Was he a major innovator? Yes. ? Not anytime soon. He deserves to be honored for creating a passing system that so many teams and coaches have mimicked. It just doesn't seem to be enough, and that's a shame. By the way, his quarterback (Dan Fouts), wide receiver (Charlie Joiner) and tight end (Kellen Winslow) are all in, as is one of his offensive coordinators (Joe Gibbs), for that matter ... #justsayin
Harrison: Hall-worthy defenders?
There are eight defensive players among the Hall of Fame's 25 semifinalists. Who deserves induction? Elliot Harrison weighs in.
23) : This guy was as versatile as any player who ever played in the front seven. He could stand up and rush from the edge, he could play with his hand in the dirt and he was an outstanding inside linebacker. He also participated in three s. Yet, despite being named to six teams, Mecklenburg is a long shot at best.
24) : An architect of the Giants teams that won XXI and XXV, Young took risks -- like drafting Phil Simms from a small school (Morehead State) in the first round of the 1979 and tapping Bill Parcells to be head coach in 1983. Executives, however, are still a tough sell.
25) : A fine player who made his money by suiting up every week -- he played in 206 games and missed just two. Someone had to be 25th on this list. Thinking that landing here is not the worst thing ever.
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