Bryan DeArdo· Aug 6, 2026
An unsigned CBS Sports piece names one player per team with the best Hall of Fame case, flagging several current players as already-locked future Hall of Famers (Henry, Kelce, Stafford, Jordan, Rodgers, Williams, plus Mahomes, T.J. Watt and Mike Evans), and calls Bijan Robinson the NFL's best running back as of last season.
“Rodgers is a shoo-in first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
published in writing · CBS Sports · read the original →
10 checkable claims — 9 pro bowl and all-pro calls and 1 positional finishe — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 17 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
10 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
Matthew Stafford to make Pro Football Hall of Fame
“Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford — Current Hall of Fame lock: Yes”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
T.J. Watt to make Pro Football Hall of Fame
“the Steelers, who have another surefire Hall of Famer on the roster in T.J. Watt”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Aaron Rodgers to make Pro Football Hall of Fame
“Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Aaron Rodgers — Current Hall of Fame lock: Yes. Rodgers is a shoo-in first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Mike Evans to make Pro Football Hall of Fame
“Williams is now teammates with former Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans, who is also a likely future Hall of Fame lock.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Travis Kelce to make Pro Football Hall of Fame
“Kansas City Chiefs: TE Travis Kelce — Current Hall of Fame lock: Yes. The Chiefs have two slam-dunk future Hall of Famers in Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Patrick Mahomes to make Pro Football Hall of Fame
“The Chiefs have two slam-dunk future Hall of Famers in Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Cameron Jordan to make Pro Football Hall of Fame
“New Orleans Saints: DE Cameron Jordan — Current Hall of Fame lock: Yes. It wouldn't be a surprise if Canton had already started making room for Jordan.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Trent Williams to make Pro Football Hall of Fame
“San Francisco 49ers: LT Trent Williams — Current Hall of Fame lock: Yes. Williams' impressive longevity has all but cemented his spot in Canton.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Derrick Henry to make Pro Football Hall of Fame
“Baltimore Ravens: RB Derrick Henry — Current Hall of Fame lock: Yes. Henry punched his future ticket to Canton during his first two seasons with the Ravens”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Bijan Robinson to finish top 1 at his position, by rushing yards
“Last season, Robinson unofficially supplanted Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry as the NFL's best running back.”
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
What others said about the same people
- Ralph VacchianoDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. He also flags the Giants as a potential surprise team with a top-10 defense, and notes Deshaun Watson won Cleveland's QB job while Tua Tagovailoa starts Week 1 in Atlanta.
- Steven RuizDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In a retrospective tiering of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Ruiz treats Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons' Week 1 starter over Kirk Cousins, whom he places in his lowest tier.
- John BreechDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0The unsigned Pick Six newsletter expects Seth McLaughlin to step into the Lions' starting center job with Cade Mays injured, and suggests Tua Tagovailoa is on track to be Atlanta's Week 1 starting quarterback.
- Matt OkadaDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0In a PPR-framed fantasy draft guide, Okada makes a few non-fantasy claims: rookie Jeremiyah Love will be Arizona's featured back despite being listed as RB2, Tua Tagovailoa will be Atlanta's Week 1 starter, and Kyler Murray will open the season as Minnesota's starting quarterback.
- theScoreDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0theScore's staff power rankings for all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last.
- Mike FanelliDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Fanelli ranks all 32 NFL teams for 2026 fantasy purposes, with the Bengals first and the Dolphins last, and makes assorted calls including Joe Burrow winning Comeback Player of the Year, Drake Maye leading the league in passing touchdowns, various starting-role and depth-chart projections, plus sleepers (Godwin, Travis Hunter, Jonathon Brooks) and a bust call on De'Von Achane.
More pro bowl and all-pro calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Pat GustavsonPro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · Charles CrossMiss · 0Gustafson picked the Bears, Eagles, Rams, Patriots, Jaguars and Texans in the wild card round, the Rams and Bears in the NFC, the Broncos and Patriots in the AFC, and the Patriots to beat the Bears in the Super Bowl. His awards slate included Stafford for MVP, Puka for OPOY and Liam Cohen for Coach of the Year.
- Peter BukowskiPro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · Zach ThomasMiss · 0Bukowski breaks down combine performances and predicts Caleb Banks will be the first defensive tackle drafted, that Kyle Lewis will rise into second-round range, that Lee Hunter's poor testing will keep the Packers away, and that the Packers will not draft a tight end in the top 100. He also predicts the Packers will cut Elton Jenkins and expects Kingsley Enagbare to leave while Rashan Gary returns.
- Jeff "Coach Jags" JagodzinskiPro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · Tucker KraftMiss · 0The former Packers tight ends coach said Tucker Craft is a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end, and separately endorsed Christian Watson as a true No. 1 receiver for Green Bay. He also ranked the tight ends he has coached all-time.
- JP AcostaPro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · Devon WitherspoonMiss · 0JP picked the Eagles to beat the 49ers in a low-scoring game and the Jaguars to beat the Bills, called Bijan Robinson the best running back in the league, and named his own first-team All-Pro roster.
- Rich EisenPro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · Jihaad CampbellMiss · 0Discussing Charles Davis' mock draft, Eisen predicted Jihaad Campbell of Alabama would be an All-Pro next season, and separately expects Trey Lance to be on an NFL roster as a backup quarterback next season.
- Rich EisenPro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · Travis HunterMiss · 0From the combine, Eisen argued Travis Hunter is worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick, and projected him as a perennial Pro Bowler who will eventually have to pick a side of the ball.