4. Mitchell Schwartz
Like Colquitt, Mitchell Schwartz’s Hall of Fame chances rest on the NFL making a concerted effort to balance out recognition for the unheralded cornerstones of football—in this case, offensive linemen. Schwartz has been one of the best right tackles in football for the last five years, and he has certainly been the best over the last two. He capped off that incredible run by having, quite literally, the best playoff performance in league history for an offensive lineman.
Schwartz also boasts the hallmark of many of the great linemen in history in that he has never missed a start in any of his eight seasons in the NFL. That’s 135 consecutive NFL starts. That is the fifth most among active players, and while not yet in the upper echelons of league history (200 starts is about where “elite” starts for the NFL), Schwartz is certainly on pace for the distinction. Five more seasons places him in the conversation for the greatest right tackle of all time.
Of course, he’ll need to win another title or two, too, to be considered for that honor. To that end, much like Tyreek Hill, anchoring himself to Patrick Mahomes will be his best bet moving forward. That will almost certainly necessitate taking an eventual pay cut, but after recently purchasing a home in the Kansas City metro, it seems like that may be the plan for the big man.