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5 Strongest Pro Football Hall of Fame Cases Among 2020 Finalists

By Steven Kubitza

Steelers DB Troy Polamalu was an eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro over his 12 NFL seasons.
Steelers DB Troy Polamalu was an eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro over his 12 NFL seasons. / George Gojkovich/Getty Images

The 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2020 class were revealed Thursday and the heated debates can officially begin. Legends on both sides of the ball are up for enshrinement, and a few former players stand out above the rest. These five appear to have the strongest cases to be part of this year's festivities.

5. Reggie Wayne

Reggie Wayne was a top target for Peyton Manning.
Reggie Wayne was a top target for Peyton Manning. / Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Reggie Wayne ranks 10th all-time in both receptions and receiving yards, and he did it in only 14 seasons. He thrived alongside Peyton Manning and helped the Colts win a Super Bowl, posted 1,000-yard seasons every year from 2004 to 2010, and made six Pro Bowls. Wayne also has 1,254 postseason receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He was always there when it mattered most.

4. John Lynch

Younger NFL fans may exclusively know John Lynch for his current job in San Francisco's front office, but devotees surely remember him for making nine Pro Bowls as one of the most feared safeties in the game. He finished his career with over 1,000 tackles and four All-Pro nods, and won Super Bowl XXXVII with Tampa Bay.

3. Isaac Bruce

Isaac Bruce remains fifth all-time in receiving yards in NFL history with 15,208. He won a Super Bowl in St. Louis and was a face of the franchise for the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf." He gets the nod herer over teammate Torry Holt due to his long-term consistency: he recorded eight 1,000-yard seasons, with the last coming a full 11 years after the first.

2. Alan Faneca

Alan Faneca was a six-time (!) First-team All-Pro as an offensive guard, and anchored a line that won Super Bowl XL for the Steelers. He played 13 seasons, spending time with the Jets and Cardinals in addition to Pittsbrugh, and made an amazing nine consecutive Pro Bowls. He was on the field for all but two of his team's games over the course of his career. Get this man to Canton right now.

1. Troy Polamalu

Polamalu was one of the best safeties of his era.
Polamalu was one of the best safeties of his era. / George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Troy Polamalu wasn't just an amazing head of hair; he made eight Pro Bowls and six All-Pro teams in his 12 NFL seasons, and was the face of a Steelers defense that won two Super Bowls. He made highlight plays seemingly every game, and had 32 career interceptions in only 158 career games at the safety position. The Pittsburgh legend never had a bad year, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 and getting named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 2000s. He's a shoo-in for enshrinement if there ever was one.