Is Jimmy Graham Hall of Fame bound?

By: Tayyib Abu

It seems as if Jimmy Graham’s NFL career is in its final stages. The big tight end is now 34-years-old and his best days are firmly behind him. In the modern era of tight ends, Graham flies under the radar.

In a world with Gronkowski, Gates, Kelce, Kittle and others, Graham often gets forgotten by members of the NFL cognoscenti. The names above are almost certainly heading to the Hall of Fame; it is time to examine Jimmy Graham’s Hall of Fame credentials.

The Case for Graham in the Hall of Fame

Only nine tight ends feature in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; it is challenging to get in. Given that Graham is still playing and many Hall of Fame ballot worthy tight ends ahead of him, he could face a long wait to get a gold jacket. Nevertheless, it is worth examining his career to see what could happen.

The most recent tight end inducted into the HOF was Tony Gonzalez. The former Chiefs and Falcons player’s resume had four seasons where he breached the 1000 yard receiving mark. Graham has two seasons in his career where he broke the 1000 yard barrier.

To be fair to Graham, he is a slightly different tight end. While the tight end was in New Orleans, Graham became one of Drew Brees’ favourite red-zone targets. Graham holds multiple double-digit touchdown seasons, in fact, he has more than Gonzalez.

Furthermore, Graham’s career yards per reception figure of 11.9 is higher than Gonzalez’s 11.4. Add those numbers to the style of Graham; he plays like a hybrid style NBA power forward. Graham is another receiver; labeling him as just a tight end is unfair. On those numbers, there is a solid case for Jimmy Graham getting in the Hall of Fame.

The Case Against Graham in the Hall of Fame

Compared to Gonzalez’s career, Graham’s features a massive level of inconsistency. In 2015, Graham notched only two touchdowns in an 11 game season. Ignoring his first two years in the NFL, Gonzalez then posted a two-touchdown season once. Again, after his first two seasons, Gonalez went 11 seasons in a row where he totaled over 600 yards receiving.

Graham has three seasons under 600, while in another season, he got to 605. The alarming inconsistencies blight Graham’s career. Another stat not in favor of Graham is the catch percentage. His career number is 64.4%. Gonzalez’s is 65.9%. At times, Graham has been a serial dropper; it is another thing that will count against him in the Hall of Fame debate.

The Bottom Line

With the queue of tight ends ahead of him and the erratic nature of his career, Jimmy Graham is not a Hall of Famer right now. His career features some high spots and some low moments. There is no doubt that Graham has Hall of Fame talent; sadly, he hasn’t fully fulfilled his potential. Graham may get in one day due to a long career on a second or third ballot; however, he is not bound for Canton just yet.