The Hall of Very Good’s Third Class: Jones, Kuechly, Baughan
By: Will Craig
These guys ARE Canton’s doorsteps, mere yards away from entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They may have had short or shortened careers for one reason or another. But one thing’s for sure, they left impacts on the game that deserve recognition. Introducing: The “Hall of Very Good.” Since I have no requirements for how long a player must be retired, this installment is a chance for me to beat the Pro Football Hall of Fame to the punch and recognize players who will surely walk the halls in Canton very soon.
Note: The research for these articles was completed independently, and the selected players have zero connection to the Professional Football Researchers Association.
Requirements for Entry:
Must be Retired
Must NOT Currently be a Member of the Pro Football HOF
Must Have a Story to Tell
Must Have 2+ Pro Bowls/All-Pros
Legacy Picks Must Have Completed Their Careers Before 2000
The Third Class of Modern Era Inductees:
“The Prototype”
Julio Jones – Wide Receiver
- Atlanta Falcons (2011-2020)
- Tennessee Titans (2021)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2022)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2023)
Few receivers in NFL history have EVER looked or played like Julio Jones. At 6’3”, 220 pounds with 4.3 speed, freakish leaping ability, and the hands more sure than a surgeon’s, Jones, who drew comparisons to Calvin Johnson Jr., was the prototype for the modern wideout: big, fast, physical, and unstoppable at his peak. A seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, Jones was the centerpiece of the Atlanta Falcons’ offense for a decade and one of the most feared weapons in all of football.
To set the stage for his breathtaking production, Quintorris Lopez Jones Jr. was referred to as “Waffle House” in high school. He was, in fact, always open, and this grabbed the attention of Nick Saban, who would name him the first true freshman wide receiver to start a season opener for the Crimson Tide. Jones proved why, earning All-American honors and winning a National Championship before he was taken 6th overall by Atlanta in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Just like his first days in Tuscaloosa, Julio made an instant impact in the league, breaking the 1,000-yard mark and earning a spot in the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Then, between 2014 and 2019, Jones strung together six consecutive 1,300+ yard seasons, something no other player has ever done. He led the NFL in receiving yards twice and posted an incredible 1,871 yards in 2015, the second-most in league history at the time. By the end of his Falcons career, Jones’ chemistry with Matt Ryan had resulted in his collection of over 12,000 receiving yards in just 135 games, making him the fastest player in NFL history to hit that mark (as well as the 10,000-yard mark).
However, Jones wasn’t just a stat sheet demon. He was the walking definition of a matchup nightmare every single Sunday. His ability to take the top off defenses, make contested catches in traffic, and draw coverage that opened the field for teammates defined Atlanta’s offensive identity. Even in the Falcons’ heartbreaking loss in Super Bowl LI, Jones delivered one of the game’s most unforgettable moments with a sideline toe-tap catch that defied physics. Don’t let the game’s tragic ending and Julian Edelman’s acrobatic, juggling grab overshadow one of the greatest pure catches of all time.
When it was all said and done for the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team member, Jones was the all-time career receptions and receiving yards leader for the Falcons. His outstanding career average of 87.9 receiving yards per game is the second-highest in NFL history and is tied with Marvin Harrison Sr. for the third-most career games with 100-yards receiving with 59 career games. But, I’ll keep it short for the readers because Jones’ accolades are endless: he holds 24 NFL records (including ties) and 18 franchise records for the Falcons, truly spectacular.
Injuries may have tried to slow him down, but his dominance when healthy was unmatched. Even defensive coordinators admitted they couldn’t truly “stop” Julio… you could only hope to survive him, and his redefinition of dominance at the wide receiver position will make him an easy shoo-in to the Pro Football HOF. Until that gold jacket is put on, welcome to the Hall of Very Good!
“The Mastermind in the Middle”
Luke Kuechly – Linebacker
- Carolina Panthers (2012-2019)
The Panthers may have had Superman running their offense with Cam Newton at QB, but a visible carbon copy of the character stood up against opposing teams on defense. Some linebackers made plays. Luke Kuechly knew what plays you were running before the coaches even called them. A tackling machine with unmatched instincts, the former Carolina Panthers star was the NFL’s ultimate defensive chess player. In just eight seasons, he earned seven Pro Bowl nods, was named a First-Team All-Pro five times (two-time Second-Team), won Defensive Rookie of the Year, and quickly followed it with the Defensive Player of the Year award in the following year, becoming the youngest receiving player in the award’s history.
Kuechly led the NFL in tackles twice, mirroring the dominance from his days at Boston College, and retired with 1,092 stops in only 118 games, averaging over nine tackles per contest. His 24 tackles in a single game in 2013 tied an NFL record. He also added 18 interceptions and 12.5 sacks, a testament to not only his ability to diagnose plays versatility as both a run-stopper and coverage linebacker. Pro Football Focus agreed, rating Kuechly as the best coverage defender among all defensive players in 2015, which is a rare honor for a linebacker. More than numbers, though, it was his preparation and football IQ that set him apart, and opposing quarterbacks often admitted he knew their plays as well as they did.
At his peak, Kuechly was the engine behind a ferocious Panthers defense that carried Carolina to Super Bowl 50, and his sideline-to-sideline range made him one of the most respected defenders of the century (also owing to his Art Rooney Award). Though concussions cut his career short, his dominance in less than a decade still earned him a spot on the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team, left no doubt about his impact on the game, and stated his case as one of the greatest middle linebackers to ever grace a football field. Luke Kuechly may not have played long enough for Canton to give him a first ballot selection, but we are all sure he will land a spot in those great halls eventually. Until then, his brilliance, toughness, and leadership secure his place in the Hall of Very Good.
The Third Class Legacy Inductee:
“The Defensive Standard of Excellence of the 1960s”
Maxie Baughan – Linebacker
- Philadelphia Eagles (1960-1965)
- Los Angeles Rams (1966-1970)
- Washington Redskins (1974)
In an era when physical linebackers were the backbone of NFL defenses, Maxie Baughan stood among the best. At Georgia Tech, the team captain was a magnet for the ball and made a physical impact, starting at both linebacker and center, where he would earn SEC Lineman of the Year honors (on offense) and set a single-season program record with 124 tackles. This clear versatility would result in his second round selection to the Eagles in 1960, and Baughan wasted no time making his presence felt, earning Pro Bowl honors as a rookie while helping lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the 1960 NFL Championship, their last in franchise history until their Super Bowl win nearly six decades later.
Baughan was the definition of steady excellence. Across 12 seasons with the Eagles, Rams, and briefly Washington, he earned nine Pro Bowl selections in the 1960s, two First-Team All-Pro nods (one ahead of Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke), and five Second-Team All-Pros, numbers that rival or surpass several Hall of Fame linebackers. Known for his intelligence as much as his toughness, the Georgia and Alabama Sports Hall of Famer’s sure tackling and sideline-to-sideline range made life managing a defense easy during Pro Football HOFer George Allen’s first years as an NFL head coach.
Though never the flashiest name of his generation, the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Famer’s consistency and leadership were undeniable. Teammates and coaches trusted him to run the defense, and opponents respected the physicality and effort he brought every snap. These abilities, along with his relationship with George Allen, supported Baughan’s pursuit of a coaching career that would last at the collegiate and professional level from 1972 to 1998.
Baughan passed away in 2023, and it was later revealed that he had suffered from Stage 3 CTE, a grave reminder of the toll the game takes. However, his legacy endures: Baughan was a champion, a leader, and set an early standard for toughness and excellence at the linebacker position. The Hall of Fame has yet to give the Baughan family a deserved call, but the Hall of Very Good is proud to posthumously welcome him home.
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Congratulations to these players!
Our third class of inductees may not have gold jackets yet (but surely will soon), but their legacies are impossible to ignore. Explosive, dominant, and game-defining, Julio Jones, Luke Kuechly, and Maxie Baughan each left a mark that demands recognition. The Hall of Fame may not have called, but the Hall of Very Good just did. Welcome.
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