After a wait that was much longer than it should have been, the Jacksonville Jaguars have finally put a player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Former star left tackle Tony Boselli, who was the team’s first-ever draft pick back in 1995, was selected as a part of the 2022 class before the Super Bowl last week.
It was certainly well deserved for Boselli, who saw his career shortened by injuries but was nonetheless the class of the league when healthy, earning three First-Team All-Pro honors. He had been a finalist the previous five years, and the sixth time was the charm.
With Boselli’s gold jacket incoming, the question now becomes who will become the next Jaguar to join him? The most obvious answer would be another multi-year nominee who missed the finalists’ cut this season: running back Fred Taylor.
A former top-10 pick, Taylor spent 11 years as the feature back in Jacksonville from 1998-08. His career accolades are, admittedly, a bit lacking. He only boasts a Pro Bowl appearance and a Second-Team All-Pro selection, both of which came during his penultimate season with the Jaguars in 2007.
He finished his career with 11,695 yards (for an average of 4.6 yards per carry) with 66 touchdowns (in addition to eight through the air). That yardage total ranks 17th of all time, and Taylor seems to be near the HOF border, as the player above him — Thurman Thomas — is in the Hall. Steven Jackson, who ranks directly below him, is not.
Granted, there are several players with worse career numbers in the Hall, as well.
It seems like Taylor will end up in Canton at some point, it’s more just a question of when. And while he is likely to be the next Jaguar to join Boselli, he’s not the only potential candidate.
Receiver Jimmy Smith is another popular choice, and though he has not gotten the Hall of Fame hype, his argument is of similar strength to Taylor’s. Smith actually has the more impressive accolade list with Second-Team All-Pro selections in 1998 and 1999, in addition to five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 1997-01.
His 12,287 yards ranks 25th all-time, and he has 67 career touchdowns as well (which is tied for 55th in NFL history). Like Taylor, he has been eligible for a while and is yet to be a finalist. It may take some time, but Smith could find his way to Canton eventually, too.
Then, there’s a potential dark-horse candidate in former head coach (and later, Executive Vice President) Tom Coughlin. His tenure as the franchise’s inaugural head coach was impressive, as he won double-digit games three-straight years from 1997-99 and made four playoff appearances — two of which led to AFC Championship Games.
However, if he makes it into the Hall, it won’t be because of his Jaguars tenure, but rather his second NFL head coaching stint with the New York Giants, where he won two Super Bowls. Regardless, it’d be hard not to count Coughlin as a Jaguar in Canton given his significance during the team’s formative years.
Who do you think will be the next Jaguars player or coach to don the gold jacket? Let us know in the poll below.
