Offensive tackle Tony Boselli
1995-2001 Jacksonville Jaguars
Had Boselli’s career not been cut short by injuries, we would not be discussing his name here, because he would have been in long ago. 2020 marks his fourth year as a finalist. He holds a unique place as the Jaguars’ first draft pick in franchise history, and the first player the Texans selected in the 2002 expansion draft. But by then, injuries had limited his athletic potential, and he retired before ever playing a snap for the Texans. But the five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro ranks sixth in Approximate Value among offensive linemen in his era, and four of the five players above him (Larry Allen, Randall McDaniel, Bruce Matthews, and Kevin Mawae) are in the Hall. Of course, they all had longer careers.
The greatness of bygone offensive linemen is tough to tabulate, because metrics for line performance are more recent, and inductions based on previous eras is as much an eye-test thing as anything else. That, and his limited career, have stopped Boselli from getting in. But Walter Jones, an offensive lineman who’s already in the Hall of Fame, believes that Boselli should join him in Canton.
Your day will come. When that happens, we will all celebrate. You deserve to be in and in my eyes, you are a Hall of Famer.
— WALTER JONES (@BigWalt71) February 1, 2020