ESPN projects Steelers future Hall of Fame players currently on the roster

JuJu Smith-Schuster, David DeCastro, Cameron Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick: 10-39% chance

Now we’re getting into some murky waters. Though all four of these players have been named to Pro Bowls or even All-Pros there are legitimate reasons why they have a smaller chance.

JuJu Smith-Schuster exploded to start his NFL career, but he really came back down to earth in 2019. Despite his impressive 2018 sesaon, he is not entering his 4th year in the league without a first-team All-Pro selection. Minkah Fitzpatrick was incredible last sesaon, and while he did earn first-team All-Pro honors, a one-year sample size is too little to give him more than a small percent chance at the Hall of fame.

Cameron Heyward has proved to be one of the best players on the Steelers, but he earned just 25.0 sacks in his first 6 seasons in the NFL (just over 4.0 per season) and he didn’t make a Pro Bowl until he was 28 years old. He likely started too late to be a legitimate contender. On the other hand, David DeCastro is a two-time All-Pro guard who has been to five straight Pro Bowls before the age of 30. He’s personal achievements show that he has a chance, but with Faneca still somehow falling short year after year, DeCastro may as well.

For the most part, I agree with where Bill Barnwell has labeled these Steelers in terms of their chances of making the Hall of Fame. This is the most difficult mountain to climb for all NFL players. We know Ben Roethlisberger will be entering someday. It will be interesting to see if any of his current Pittsburgh teammates will join him in Canton.