Which NFL standouts will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility, which will have to wait and which may not make it to Canton?

ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently predicted complete Hall of Fame classes through 2034, along with noting "eligible but not selected." Among his projected inductions were four former Vikings: defensive end Jared Allen, running back Adrian Peterson, cornerback Patrick Peterson and kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson.

Barnwell slated Allen to be selected among the 2025 class, which will be his fifth year of eligibility. He wrote:

Allen had a solid case as the league's best pass rusher during his peak with the Chiefs and Vikings. He racked up 77.5 sacks over a five-year span between 2007 and 2011 and was a [First-Team] All-Pro four times, although he never did manage a Defensive Player of the Year award.

Allen's predicted Hall of Fame classmates were Antonio Gates (second year of eligibility), Terrell Suggs (first) and Adam Vinatieri (first).

Fast forward to 2027, and Barnwell believes Peterson will get into Canton at his first opportunity. Drafted by the Vikings seventh overall in 2007, "All Day" earned seven Pro Bowl nods during his time with Minnesota and was named a First-Team All-Pro four times. Peterson surpassed 1,000 rushing yards eight times, including seven seasons with the Vikings.

Barnwell called Peterson's 2,097-yard season in 2012 "one of the single most impressive years."

Injuries might have prevented Peterson from challenging the all-time greats at his position, but he's one of nine players with five 1,300-yard seasons. The only player in that group who isn't in the hall is Clinton Portis.

As far as the other two former Vikings that made Barnwell's predictions, Patrick Peterson and Patterson remain in the league – the former as a free agent and latter a new addition to the Steelers roster – so it remains to be seen exactly when they'll be eligible for the Hall.

But Barnwell still enjoyed the exercise, projecting Peterson to be selected in 2031 and Patterson in 2033.

Peterson largely established his argument for Canton as a Cardinal, of course, though he had plenty of gas left in the tank when he played for Minnesota in 2021 and 2022.

Peterson started his career with eight consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. Fourteen other players have done that besides him, and every one of them currently eligible for the Hall of Fame has made it into Canton.

Barnwell said Patterson will be inducted during his fourth year of eligibility. The receiver, running back and return specialist was drafted by Minnesota in 2013 and spent his first four seasons with the Vikings, for whom he returned five kickoffs for touchdowns.

While kick return touchdowns are up across the board as the league tinkers with Sam Schwartzstein's XFL kickoff model, Patterson's records in what was otherwise a dead era for kickoff returns seem like more and more of a historic outlier. Patterson finally earns his nod and then suggests onstage in Canton that he could return to the league and score five touchdowns per year under the new kickoff rules.

Akayleb Evans took new approach to film study ahead of 'pivotal' third season

The Vikings have a number of cornerbacks competing for the attention of coaches.

Minnesota recently lost Mekhi Blackmon for the season with a torn ACL, and Shaq Griffin has been sidelined (though expected to be short-term) with a soft-tissue lower leg injury. The Vikings added new defensive backs Bobby McCain and Fabian Moreau this week – after bringing back Duke Shelley, who flashed for the team in 2022.

Another name remaining in the mix is 2022 fourth-round draft pick Akayleb Evans.

Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune connected with Evans recently about his offseason and how he approached film study ahead of a "pivotal" third campaign. Goessling wrote:

Evans knew … the biggest investment he needed to make was in how he studied the game. He struggled at times in his first year in Brian Flores' defense, and in addition to mastering his role in the scheme, he needed a clearer understanding of how offenses would attack him. "I've always tried to rely on athletic ability, but that's the difference in the NFL," he said. "You have to focus on yourself: What am I doing? What's my technique? How do I see the game? Do I understand what's going on around me?"

Enter Cody Alexander, the former Texas high school coach and Baylor graduate assistant who has become an in-demand defensive analyst through his MatchQuarters platform and Art of X podcast. Evans' agent, Ron Slavin, had connected with Alexander in the Dallas area; Alexander had already studied Flores' defense extensively for several episodes of his show last season and connected with him at the Senior Bowl. Watching film with Alexander, it seemed, could help sharpen Evans' football intellect during the offseason when NFL rules prohibit coaches from having extensive contact with players.

Alexander told Goessling he acted as "an extension" of the Vikings coaching staff, calling himself a "bridge" to help Evans build on his foundation of work.

Goessling noted Evans and Alexander "watched the Vikings season twice, studied corners that Evans wanted to mimic and dug into offensive trends."

"It's just watching the game, understanding what's going on, how adjustments happen, how offenses are trying to attack certain defenses — just broadening my IQ," Evans said. "He's a really brilliant guy. I'm looking forward to watching more film with him."