Which of the final Class of 2022 nominees could become first-ballot Hall of Famers?

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has revealed 26 semifinalists for the Class of 2022. The list will be cut down to 15 finalists in a few months.

The initial list features seven former NFL stars who are eligible for the first time. That means we could have a long list of first-ballot Hall of Famers as part of this class.

Let's go through these seven players to see who has a great shot of getting inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first attempt.

Breaking down potential first-ballot Hall of Famers in 2022

Anquan Boldin, wide receiver

Anquan Boldin played in the NFL from 2003-2016 and won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens. He also made three Pro Bowls throughout his career that saw him play with four different teams.

Boldin seems like a long shot to get into the Hall of Fame on his first try. While he does rank 14th all-time in receiving yards, he was never an All-Pro throughout his career, which is more telling than any Pro Bowl nod.

One benefit for Boldin is his 13,779 career receiving yards. He may get inducted one day, but it would be unlikely for his career to be considered good enough to warrant a first-ballot induction.

Andre Johnson, wide receiver

Andre Johnson has an interesting case for the Hall of Fame. He currently ranks 11th all-time in receiving yards with 14,185 and made four All-Pro teams throughout his career, in addition to seven Pro Bowls.

Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards twice and went over 1,500 yards in a season three times. However, his career lacks that signature moment because he played on some average and also bad Houston Texans teams. Even with such an illustrious career, he only played in four playoff games.

Being so high on the all-time yardage list makes Johnson a toss-up for induction this year. However, his case may only get stronger with time as people look back on his numbers with the bad Texans teams of old.

Steve Smith, wide receiver

Steve Smith has the best chance of getting into the Hall of Fame in 2022 out of this group of receivers. He is eighth all-time in receiving with 14,731 yards and made three All-Pro teams in his career.

How Smith continued to be relevant throughout his entire career remains impressive. He had a 1,000-yard year at the age of 35 with the Baltimore Ravens when his career was coming to a close. That came nearly a decade after he led the league in receiving with the Carolina Panthers.

A Super Bowl ring eluded Smith, but he was still on some talented teams that made it deep into the postseason. His standing on the all-time list should be enough to get him in, either in 2022 or 2023.

Chicago Bears v Green Bay Packers

Devin Hester, wide receiver/kick returner

Devin Hester is such an interesting case in the Hall of Fame discussion. The highlight of his career are his skills as a return specialist. Hester burst onto the scene with the Chicago Bears in 2006 with five return touchdowns.

He did get time as a wide receiver throughout his career, but the threat of him taking one to the house from a kickoff or punt is what has him on this list of semifinalists.

Hester retired with 14 punt return touchdowns and five kick return touchdowns. That may not seem like a ton, but think about how rare it is to see a player take one back in a season. Hester was so good at his job that he made four All-Pro teams. Special teams are a huge aspect of the NFL game, and Hester deserves Hall of Fame induction at some point. He may just have to wait as other true skill players get in ahead of him.

Robert Mathis, defensive lineman

Robert Mathis spent his entire NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts and was a staple on defense from 2003-2016. As soon as he entered the league he became known for his ability to force fumbles. In fact, he is the all-time leader with 54. He had 10 in the 2013 season alone.

Mathis retired with 123 sacks. He made eight Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro on one occasion. In addition, he won a Super Bowl with Indianapolis. The forced fumbles and sacks are what have Mathis on this list. However, he is a toss-up for the Hall of Fame on his first ballot due to his lack of All-Pro nods even with the great counting stats.

Vince Wilfork, defensive lineman

Would Vince Wilfork be on this Hall of Fame list if he did not play with the New England Patriots? That is impossible to know, but being in the national spotlight certainly boosts his case.

Wilfork retired with 16 career sacks, but did make four All-Pro teams and won two Super Bowls. The All-Pro nods do stand out as to why he has gone down as one of the greatest of his generation. However, his position as a nose tackle means it is tough to dive into his stats and find evidence as to why he should make the Hall of Fame, not just on his first ballot, but in general.

DeMarcus Ware, linebacker

DeMarcus Ware was an absolute force throughout his NFL career. He ranks ninth all-time with 138.5 career sacks and even had 20 back during the 2008 season with the Dallas Cowboys. Hall of Fame induction was always the end game.

Ware helped the Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50 and made it to seven All-Pro teams throughout his career. He may be the only true lock on this list to make the Hall of Fame on his first ballot. Being an All-Pro so often is extremely rare. He also made nine Pro Bowls, so he was routinely seen as a superstar in the league.

Ware will be a part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2022.