Arizona Cardinals Pro Football Hall of Fame watch

The Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct the class of 2023 on Aug. 5. Here are players from the 2023 Cardinals who could join the immortals in Canton someday.

Fringe Hall of Famer

Zach Ertz, tight end: The bar for entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at tight end is incredibly high. Per the Pro Football Hall of Fame, only nine players at the position are enshrined in Canton. If you are a tight end, you must be sensational to get there.

Ertz isn't quite there yet, but he is creeping into the fringes. He has three Pro Bowl appearances and was a key player on a Super Bowl-winning team with the Eagles. He has caught at least 74 passes in a season six times and has 7,247 yards receiving overall. He is 13th on the all-time receiving yards list for tight ends and eighth in receptions (682). He could climb as high as sixth on the receptions list as early as this season. 

According to the Pro Football Reference Hall of Fame monitor, the average Hall of Fame tight end has 7,656 yards receiving and 588 receptions. Ertz is already well clear of the receptions mark and close to the yards mark. If he could put together two big years before he retires, he could play his way into the discussion — especially if he gets traded to a team with a better offense.  

Players who could develop into a Hall of Famers

Budda Baker, safety: If Baker continues on his career trajectory, the six-year veteran could climb into the fringes of Hall of Fame discussions. He is a five-time Pro Bowler, a one-time first-team All-Pro and two-time second-teamer. 

Baker is one of the league's more impactful defensive backs against the run, in coverage and even as an occasional pass rusher. He is basically a poor man's Troy Polamalu or Ed Reed in terms of impact and versatility. (Both are Hall of Famers, by the way.) 

Baker still needs more of a track record to reach the Hall of Fame, but at 27, he still has high-quality years ahead of him.  

Kyler Murray, quarterback: This one is a total wild card. Murray, 25, is a former No. 1 overall pick who has all of the talent in the world. He has shown flashes of being a franchise quarterback with a dual-threat ability. But he isn't an elite QB — at least not yet. 

His leadership and focus have been questioned, and he has battled injuries and inconsistency over the first four years of his career. His record as a starter is only 25-31-1. Even with all of his flaws, Murray was Offensive Rookie of Year in 2019 and has made two Pro Bowls. He still has a long career ahead of him, and if he can recapture the form he had in the first three years, he could generate HOF buzz.