2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame lookahead: Julius Peppers, Antonio Gates headline as we predict the inductees

Getty Images

The 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class was inducted on Saturday, as eight former players and one former coach joined the 362 members already enshrined in Canton, Ohio.

While the party has just started for this year's induction class, let's turn our attention to what the 2024 induction class could look like. Here's a look at the 40 players who will be eligible for the first time (keep reading below to see who we think will get in).

EDGE Julius Peppers
TE Antonio Gates
S Eric Berry
DL Haloti Ngata
RB Jamaal Charles
WR Brandon Marshall
G Josh Sitton
DT Kyle Williams
C Max Unger
LB Derrick Johnson
DE Muhammad Wilkerson
CB Brent Grimes
K Phil Dawson
P Donnie Jones
RB Doug Martin
DB Adam Jones
S Reggie Nelson
S Glover Quin
K Sebastian Janikowski
LB Telvin Smith
DE Greg Hardy
OLB Connor Barwin
LB Brian Orakpo
WR Jordy Nelson
P Marquette King
QB Andrew Luck
CB Leon Hall
WR Doug Baldwin
TE Jermaine Gresham
G T.J. Lang
CB Vontae Davis
QB Matt Cassel
CB Sam Shields
RB Chris Ivory
WR Mike Wallace
RB Jonathan Stewart
FS Corey Graham
OL Jermon Bushrod
QB Derek Anderson
LS John Denney

Of these players, Peppers and Gates have the best shot at being inducted in their first year of eligibility. Both enjoyed highly decorated careers. Peppers was a nine-time Pro Bowler who made the 2010s All-Decade Team after racking up 159.5 career sacks. Also a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team, Gates was a Pro Bowler for eight straight years. He's currently first all time among tight ends with 116 touchdown receptions, while his 11,841 receiving yards are the third-highest total.

Berry, Charles, Marshall and Nelson may have a shot at induction in later years. While injuries cut his career short, Berry was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who twice led the league in interceptions returned for touchdowns. Charles -- Berry's former teammate in Kansas City -- retired with a whopping 5.4 yards-per-carry average. Marshall was a six-time Pro Bowler who is one of fewer than 40 players with more than 11,000 career receiving yards.

Then, there's Luck, who shocked the sports world after he retired in his prime just before the start of the 2019 season. There's almost no chance that Luck is ever inducted, given that he played in just 86 regular-season games. But the fact that Luck is now eligible will undoubtedly lead to conversation regarding his career and how it should be viewed from a historical perspective.

Along with the first-time eligible players, there are a host of deserving senior nominee candidates for 2024. Among the notable senior semifinalists are former 49ers running back Roger Craig, former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, former Raiders cornerback Lester Hayes, former Bears defensive lineman Steve McMichael and former Browns linebacker Clay Matthews Jr.

Top coaching candidates include Marty Schottenheimer, former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and former Packers and Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren may also receive consideration. Schottenheimer won 200 games during his 21 years as an NFL head coach. Shanahan and Holmgren were head coaches in a combined five Super Bowls, with Shanahan's Broncos edging Holmgren's Packers in a thriller in Super Bowl XXXII. Shanahan's growing coaching tree only helps his case.

Robert Kraft could be in line to receive a gold jacket as a contributor. The Patriots' principal owner since 1994, Kraft has presided over a franchise that has won 10 AFC titles and six Super Bowls over that span. Kraft is also credited for helping end the 2011 lockout.

So, who will be part of next year's Hall of Fame class? Here's our best guess.