Does former Jaguars Jimmy Smith have a shot at NFL Hall of Fame?

By any measuring stick, former Jaguars wide receiver Jimmy Smith had a remarkable career, making five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1997-2001. During that stretch, he led the NFL with a combined 479 catches and 6,728 yards.

Smith finished his career with 862 catches for 12,287 yards and 67 touchdowns in 11 seasons

But in six years of Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility, Smith has yet to make the semifinals of top 25 players. Many voters believe that in this pass-happy era, it’s becoming more difficult for elite receivers to get into the HOF without monster numbers.

“It’ll be tough to get into Canton, not necessarily impossible, because [Smith] is in a period where you got a huge number of receivers who have huge numbers,” said HOF voter Peter King, who writes the Monday Morning Quarterback column for Sports Illustrated.

“There’s a boatload of receivers in Jimmy Smith’s era that are going to be over 850 catches, maybe 20 from 1995-2015. You’re not going to put 20 from one era in the Hall of Fame. In my opinion, there’s too many reasons for people to look at other guys that are more prominent than Jimmy Smith.”

No question, Smith faces an uphill climb to reach Canton because there are 11 non-Hall of Fame receivers — including four still active — with greater numbers than the Jaguars’ all-time top target.

Terrell Owens is considered a prime Hall candidate in the next election, while Hines Ward (2017) and Randy Moss (2018) will soon become eligible, creating a bigger logjam at a position that is already backloaded with Hall-worthy candidates.

“The numbers go up in each era, and you can get lost in the tsunami of numbers,” said John Clayton, a HOF voter and NFL writer/reporter for ESPN. “If you look at the history of how receivers get in, we’re usually about 15-20 years behind. We got [former Pittsburgh Steeler] Lynn Swann in 20 years after his retirement. It took forever to get [former Washington Redskin] Art Monk in.

“I hate to say this, but it could also be the [Jacksonville] market. The Jaguars had only that one run of glory. That works against [Smith], too. It’s probably the [lack of] touchdowns, not going to a Super Bowl, and being dwarfed by receivers whose numbers are similar.”

Smith’s 67 TDs are below almost every HOF receiver, including many who played before 1978 when NFL rules made it far more difficult for pass-catchers to put up big numbers.

About the only HOF receiver in the modern era whose numbers are slightly below Smith’s is the Dallas Cowboys’ Michael Irvin (750 catches, 11,904 yards, 65 TDs), but he was a major cog on three Super Bowl-winning teams in the 1990s.

“The problem for Jimmy is guys we’re putting in have 1,000 career catches and Hines Ward is sitting on the bubble,” said Rick Gosselin, a HOF voter since 1992. “The bar has been raised so much that I’m not sure any receiver gets in any more with less than 1,000 catches.

“There are 14 All-Decade receivers eligible for the Hall of Fame that are not in, and Jimmy [Smith] was not an All-Decade guy. Cris Carter and Tim Brown took a long time to get in because they had stats, but no [Super Bowl] rings. Voters love jewelry. If you’ve got a ring, you got a leg up.”

Each year, 25 semifinalists are chosen by vote from over 100 eligible nominees, followed by another vote reduction to 15 finalists. Those candidates are discussed by 48 HOF voters at a Saturday meeting before the Super Bowl, who select 5-8 for induction.

Most HOF selections usually get to the semifinals almost as soon as they’re eligible. Former Jaguars offensive tackle Tony Boselli, who became eligible in 2007, just became a semifinalist for the second consecutive year. Since Smith hasn’t made the top 25 in six years of eligibility, he might be a longshot for Canton.

“If you become a finalist and get into the room to have your case heard, then you got a shot,” said Clayton. “Jimmy’s not getting into the room, so it’s going to be tough.”