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The Pro Football Hall of Fame is what each NFL player aspires to reach after their career finishes. Only the very best feature in Canton, but there are plenty of players playing across the league that could make it once they call it a career.
Many of the obvious names play offense. Superstars like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers will most definitely be Hall of Famers once they retire. But what about the players trying to stop them? That is the focus here as we count down five current defensive players destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
#1 - Khalil Mack
Khalil Mack could easily be admitted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he calls it quits. So far in his career with the Raiders, Bears and now the Chargers, Mack has 76.5 sacks and 23 forced fumbles since being drafted in 2014. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, as well as being named All-Pro on four separate occasions.
Mack has also made six Pro Bowls and was voted into the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade team. At just 31 Mack still has time to add to his already stacked resume, and with Joey Bosa opposite him on the Los Angeles Chargers defensive line, we can easily see him doing so.
#2 - J.J. Watt
J.J. Watt is another edge rusher who will definitely be a Hall of Famer once retires. With the Houston Texans and now the Arizona Cardinals, Watt has caused havoc for opposition offenses. He has recorded 102.0 total sacks, along with 547 total tackles and 26 forced fumbles.
Watt has been named NFL Defensive Player of the Year on three occasions (2012, 2014, 2015), as well as being named first-team All-Pro five times. He has also led the league in sacks twice. Watt has made five Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade team.
Unfortunately, Watt has struggled with injuries in recent years as he comes to the twilight of his career, but he’s a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame one day.
#3 - Von Miller
New Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller is also bound for the Hall of Fame. He shows no signs of slowing down whatsoever. This offseason he signed a six-year $120 million deal with Buffalo.
The long-time Denver Broncos star was a lynchpin in their defense that won Super Bowl 50. Miller took home the Super Bowl MVP after he strip-sacked Cam Newton. Miller has been named an All-Pro seven times, made eight Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade team.
Miller was instrumental for the Los Angeles Rams in their Super Bowl LVI victory in early 2022. In that fixture as he added to his sack total which now stands at 115.5.
#4 - Bobby Wagner
Speaking of the Los Angeles Rams, new Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner will also be in Canton one day. The former Seattle Seahawks standout has been one of the best linebackers in the league for a decade. He’s made eight Pro Bowls, as well as being named All-Pro eight times.
Wagner was also a part of the ‘Legion Of Boom’ while in Seattle when their terrifying defense won Super Bowl XLVIII. They blew Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos out of the water in a 43-8 rout.
Wagner has led the league in tackles twice during his career, and will be bringing his talent to Los Angeles in 2022. He signed a five-year $65 million contract in March this year.
#5 - Aaron Donald
Rams tackle Aaron Donald is easily the best defensive player in the league. He will 100% be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he decides to call it quits.
His resume stacks up against almost all Hall of Fame inductees, as he’s been voted to eight Pro Bowls. That's every single year of his career. He has also won NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times and been named first-team All-Pro seven times.
He was a member of the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade team, and to this point has 98.0 career sacks and 441 total tackles. He also effectively sealed the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl LVI win. He harried Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, resulting in an incomplete pass on fourth down.
