NFL Hall of Fame: Ranking the players in the 2019 class of inductees

The Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomes a new crop of NFL players to Canton in the 2019 class but who is the best of this class? We rank the six inductees.

On Saturday night, there will be a new group from the NFL inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Eight new members of the Hall will be enshrined on Aug. 3, a class consisting of six players, one owner and one contributor to the league. And it feels safe to say that this is one of the NFL’s stronger Hall of Fame classes in some time — which is saying something.

After all, this is a prestigious honor we’re talking about here. Players (or anyone else for that matter) don’t make it to Canton and get their bust made simply by being good. This is an honor reserved for the very best to ever do it in their respective positions and fields. So for this to be considered a strong class says a lot about these players.

When you look at the 2019 inductees, though, there’s no arguing it. From the perspective of the players, cornerback Champ Bailey, tight end Tony Gonzalez, cornerback Ty Law, offensive lineman Kevin Mawae, safety Ed Reed and safety Johnny Robinson will be inducted on Saturday night, all of whom are unforgettable presences. Even the other two inductees, former Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and long-time NFL contributor Gil Brandt, are legends in their own right.

With all due respect to Bowlen and Brandt — and there is plenty due — we’re going to focus on the players being inducted for now. There’s no denying that these soon-to-be-minted Hall of Famers are all deserving of this honor for their great play. However, when you stack them up against one another in the 2019 class, who are the best?

That’s the question that we’re going to answer, ranking the six players from the NFL being inducted as part of the Hall of Fame class. Of course these rankings are going to be subjective and, frankly, tough to make. However, that’s the task at hand, so let’s start at No. 6.