By: Jake Rajala

In the 2010 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals made one of the best fourth draft picks in NFL history in Geno Atkins. The former Georgia Bulldog blossomed into an absolute manic for the Bengals, as he made eight Pro Bowl selections and two All-Pro teams for Cincy. Atkins poetically stayed with the Bengals up until 2020 and he hasn’t played in the NFL since 2020.

Regardless of Atkins’s decision to keep competing in-between the white lines, he has unveiled a very superb career. With that said, there is a pivotal question on the mind of many Bengals fans and NFL critics: Is Atkins headed to Canton?

I believe one of the most fascinating, logical comparisons for Atkins is none other than Ndamukong Suh. They both dominated in the same decade and both unveiled top-tier success on a consistent basis. I feel comfortable that Suh (three All-Pro teams, five Pro Bowl selections, SB champion) is HOF-bound.

Suh was able to garner a shiny SB ring, while Atkins has failed to win a Super Bowl. The former Lions DT also has one more All-Pro season than Atkins. Although, Atkins was definitely able to separate himself from Suh in the Pro Bowl category, as Atkins has three more PB seasons than Suh.

He does have more career sacks than Suh, but Suh has more TFLs and QB hits in his career. I’d still say that their resume is similar and it’s clear that NFL critics felt the same way — as both mythical DTs were selected to the 2010 decade team.

Nonetheless, there have been Super Bowl-less DTs with similar production as Atkins, and they have struggled to make it into Canton. For example, Michael Dean Perry made six Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro teams, won zero Super Bowls, and he hasn’t been inducted into Canton.

Atkins does have a couple of more PB selections than Perry, but they have remarkably similar honors. I would say Atkins is in line behind Perry for football heaven. Atkins is certainly a borderline HOF player and a Bengals legend, but I don’t believe he is on the path to being a HOF player. If he can return to the Bengals and win a SB ring, I definitely feel Atkins is in the same HOF boat as Suh.

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