Rank'Em
Rank 'Em: 10 HOF Candidates With Cowboys Ties
DallasCowboys.com has ranked the top 10 candidates for Canton in the future, based on career resume.
10. Ed "Too Tall" JonesOnly Jason Witten played more seasons with the Cowboys than Jones' 15 from 1974-78 and 1980-89, taking a brief break to pursue boxing. A starter on the 1977 Super Bowl team, he made three Pro Bowls in the '80s and ranks fourth in franchise history with 106.0 career sacks.
9. Nate NewtonThe Triplets might be the face of the 1990s Cowboys dynasty, but Newton and a special offensive line made their success possible. Undrafted in 1983, Newton joined the Cowboys three years later and would go on to make six Pro Bowls as a starting guard on all three Cowboys championship teams in the '90s.
8. Tony Romo
Hall of Fame consideration is tricky for quarterbacks because Super Bowls seem to be the primary criteria, fair or not. Romo doesn't have a ring on his resume, but he ranks top-10 all-time in career passer rating (97.1), according to Pro Football Reference, and leads the Cowboys all-time in career passing yardage (34,154) and touchdown passes (247).
7. Lee Roy JordanJust 215 pounds, Jordan played well above his weight as the Cowboys' middle linebacker for 14 seasons, including their first Super Bowl title in 1971. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and joined the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1989.
6. Harvey MartinBefore the NFL began tracking sacks in 1982, Martin was a dynamic pass rusher with the Cowboys throughout the 1970s. He made the NFL's All-Decade Team as a four-time Pro Bowler and member of the Cowboys' 1977 Super Bowl team. If Martin's 114.0 career sacks were all official, he would rank in the NFL's top 25 all-time.
5. Chuck HowleyThe fourth player inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor, Howley was a six-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro during his 15-year career. A dominant linebacker in his era, he's the only player in Super Bowl history to be named MVP from the losing team (the Cowboys' loss to Baltimore in Super Bowl V). A year later in 1971, he helped the Cowboys win their first title.
4. Everson WallsWalls was a Hall of Fame finalist in 2018, so perhaps he'll be on the Canton doorstep again soon. His staggering 57 interceptions in 13 NFL seasons and ranked eighth in league history when he retired after the 1993 season. He made four Pro Bowls with the Cowboys from 1981-89, led the league in picks three different seasons, and won a Super Bowl with the Giants in 1990.
3. Darren Woodson
Safety hasn't been a high-volume position in Canton, but that's quickly changing. John Lynch, Cliff Harris, Steve Atwater, Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed have been elected in the last three years alone. Could Woodson be next? The Cowboys' all-time leading tackler has been a semifinalist five times. He's a three-time Super Bowl champion who played a major role on perhaps NFL's the greatest dynasty.
2. Jason Witten
Witten, who recently announced his retirement after one season with the Raiders, has a mandatory five-year waiting period for Hall of Fame consideration. Once eligible, there's a good chance he's a first-ballot selection -- and for good reason. An 11-time Pro Bowler with the Cowboys, he's fourth all-time in NFL receptions (1,228) and widely considered one of the greatest tight ends in league history.
1. DeMarcus WareWare is eligible for the Hall of Fame next year and should receive strong first-ballot consideration. He went to nine Pro Bowls (seven in Dallas, two in Denver), made the 2000s All-Decade Team and won a Super Bowl with the Broncos in 2015. He's also the Cowboys' career sacks leader (117.0), ranking ninth all-time in league history. Hint: six of the eight players ahead of Ware are in Canton, and the other two, Julius Peppers and Terrell Suggs, aren't eligible yet.
