Pro Football Hall of Fame 2019: NFL Inductees, Class Finalists and Predictions

Pro Football's shrine in Canton, Ohio, will get between four and eight new members Saturday night when the Class of 2019 is elected by the 48-member Selection Committee.

The committee will convene Saturday to discuss the 15 modern-era finalists who are up for consideration, along with one senior finalist and two more from the builder category. 

Here's a look at the finalists and the teams they played for during their standout careers.

Steve Atwater, Safety—1989-1998 Denver Broncos, 1999 New York Jets
Champ Bailey, Cornerback—1999-2003 Washington Redskins, 2004-2013 Denver Broncos
Tony Boselli, Tackle—1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars
Isaac Bruce, Wide Receiver—1994-2007 Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, 2008-09 San Francisco 49ers
Don Coryell, Coach—1973-77 St. Louis Cardinals, 1978-1986 San Diego Chargers
Alan Faneca, Guard—1998-2007 Pittsburgh Steelers, 2008-09 New York Jets, 2010 Arizona Cardinals
Tom Flores, Coach—1979-1987 Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, 1992-94 Seattle Seahawks
Tony Gonzalez, Tight End—1997-2008 Kansas City Chiefs, 2009-2013 Atlanta Falcons
Steve Hutchinson, Guard—2001-05 Seattle Seahawks, 2006-2011 Minnesota Vikings, 2012 Tennessee Titans
Edgerrin James, Running Back—1999-2005 Indianapolis Colts, 2006-08 Arizona Cardinals, 2009 Seattle Seahawks
Ty Law, Cornerback—1995-2004 New England Patriots, 2005, 2008 New York Jets, 2006-07 Kansas City Chiefs, 2009 Denver Broncos
John Lynch, Free Safety—1993-2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004-07 Denver Broncos
Kevin Mawae, Center—1994-97 Seattle Seahawks, 1998-2005 New York Jets, 2006-09 Tennessee Titans
Ed Reed, Safety—2002-2012 Baltimore Ravens, 2013 Houston Texans, 2013 New York Jets
Richard Seymour, Defensive End/Defensive Tackle—2001-08 New England Patriots, 2009-2012 Oakland Raiders

Reed, Gonzalez and Bailey are in their first year of eligibility. Seymour is in his first year as a finalist, as is  Flores, but both had been eligible prior to this year.

Johnny Robinson, a safety with the Kansas City Chiefs and one of the greatest American Football League players, is in the senior category. Owner Pat Bowlen of the Denver Broncos and former Dallas Cowboys personnel guru Gil Brandt are both in the builder categories.

This year's class will join the elite members of pro football's most exclusive club. There are 318 members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and new members have been elected on an annual basis since 1963.

Predictions

Reed and Gonzalez seem like they should be obvious selections, as both rank among the all-time best at their positions.

Reed had a lot of skills at safety, but his incredible instincts for the position and for understanding football have led him to the head of the class. 

Reed was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 when he dominated with nine interceptions that he returned for 358 yards, including a 106-yard TD return. He forced three fumbles and recovered two more, and he returned one of those for a touchdown.

Reed had 64 interceptions in his illustrious career, and he returned seven of them for touchdowns. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler and a five-time first-team All-Pro.

Gonzalez was a record-setting performer at the tight end position and he had 1,325 career receptions for 15,127 yards, and he ranks first in both categories among tight ends. Gonzalez also caught 111 TD passes in his career.

Gonzalez made the Pro Bowl 14 times, was a six-time first-team All-Pro, and he had a streak of catching at least one pass in 211 games.

Seymour was one of the premier defensive players on the Patriots' first three Super Bowl-winning teams. Seymour consistently put pressure on the opposing quarterback, and he could line up at any position on the defensive line.

That versatility always causes havoc for opposing blockers, because the panic level regularly went up when offensive linemen knew they had to face him.

Seymour had 91 tackles for loss and 57.5 sacks during his career, and he was a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time first team All-Pro.

Bailey was a sensational cover man who excelled at stopping No. 1 receivers. He studied film and knew the tendencies of receivers, but he also demonstrated uncanny reactions when it came to catching up or coming up with the key play at the big moment.

He was a 12-time Pro Bowler who had 52 interceptions in his career with a remarkable 203 passes defended.

Look for Robinson to get the nod as a senior candidate. He was one of Hank Stram's most dependable players in the Kansas City secondary, and he regularly displayed his wonderful instincts and big-play ability in the American Football League. He had 57 interceptions and was a six-time All-Pro in his career. 

Brandt was the third man in the Dallas Cowboy power troika that included head coach Tom Landry and general manager Tex Schramm. When it came to finding the great football players that allowed the Cowboys to become America's Team and go to the playoffs 17 times in 18 years between 1966 and 1983, Brandt was the man. 

He had an encyclopedic knowledge of all NFL players and excelled at making recommendations on which players to bring into the organization.