2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame: Meet the new members - ESPN

For the second consecutive year, defense will be a hallmark of an enshrinement class for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Five of the seven-member Class of 2024, announced Thursday night at the NFL Honors show in Las Vegas, are defensive players. It comes a year after the Hall's Class of 2023, which (other than the Hall's 15-member Centennial class) was the first time four modern-era defensive players were honored in the same class.

Defensive ends Julius Peppers and Dwight Freeney and linebacker Patrick Willis were named to the Class of '24, as were Devin Hester, the league's record-holder for kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns, and wide receiver Andre Johnson. Linebacker Randy Gradishar, who played in his last game in 1983, and defensive tackle Steve McMichael, who retired after the 1994 season, were senior finalists selected to be enshrined in the Class of '24 as well.

This year's class was chosen by the Hall's board of selectors in a virtual meeting. The new Hall of Famers will be enshrined on Aug. 3 in Canton, Ohio.

Here is a closer look at the Class of 2024:

Indianapolis Colts, 2002-12; San Diego Chargers, 2013-14; Arizona Cardinals, 2015; Atlanta Falcons, 2016; Detroit Lions, 2017; Seattle Seahawks, 2017

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Though some initially questioned if Freeney was too short to play (6-foot-1) at defensive end, he was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection as well as a three-time first-team All Pro during his 11 years with the Colts. Freeney was the No. 11 pick of the 2002 draft and made an immediate impact for the Colts — 13 sacks as a rookie and a