CANTON, Ohio — Julius Peppers might not have to wait long for some black and blue company at the Hall of Fame.

Three of his most decorated former teammates are eligible for the next election cycle, and a fourth and one of the more intriguing candidacies is coming in two years.

Linebacker Luke Kuechly and center Ryan Kalil are eligible for the first time when voting begins for the class of 2025. They join wide receiver Steve Smith, who has been a semifinalist for the last three years.

And looking at last year's voting, there are some clues in this year's results which could be good omens for the Panthers.

San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis getting in last weekend is a very good sign for Kuechly, since their careers are practically identical.

Both played eight years, and went to seven Pro Bowls, and were named first-team All-Pro five times (Kuechly was second team All-Pro twice and Willis once). Both won defensive rookie of the year, both of them twice led the league in combined tackles, and both were named All-Decade picks for the 2010s.

The main difference is that Kuechly has a defensive player of the year award (2013), and Willis did not; otherwise, their resumes are mirror images.

Willis was elected in his third year of eligibility and marked the third straight year a middle linebacker was among the five modern-era honorees, following Zach Thomas and Sam Mills. If there's any positional fatigue (there are 22 starting spots, and only five get represented in every class), that could point to Kuechly waiting.

And with Andre Johnson breaking the receiver logjam this year, a spot could be cleared in the final 15 for Smith, who has made the cut to 25 each of the last three seasons.

Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne remain in the queue, and Holt got to the final 10 in voting this year (along with Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, Willie Anderson, and Darren Woodson). Wayne was among the players in spots 11 through 15 (along with Eric Allen, Rodney Harrison, Jahri Evans, and Fred Taylor).

That makes it reasonable to suggest Holt's likely the next receiver out of the spigot.

However, Smith's numbers are better across the board, and he did it without having a Hall of Fame quarterback for most of his career. Like Andre Johnson, who carried the Texans offense without as much help, Smith enjoyed three years of Muhsin Muhammad early but then spent most of his years as the focus of opposing defenses and on teams that preferred to run. And nothing against Hall of Honor quarterback Jake Delhomme, but Holt (Kurt Warner) and Wayne (Peyton Manning) got to play with guys who are already in Canton.

Consider that Johnson was enshrined last weekend after finishing his career with 1,062 catches for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns.

Smith finished his career with 1,031 catches for 14,731 yards and 81 touchdowns. Holt had 920 catches for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns, and Wayne had 1,070 catches for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns.

So Smith's numbers outpace Holt's considerably, and he and Wayne had practically identical stats, and one of them was the second receiver on a team with Marvin Harrison and Manning throwing it to him. That would seem to point to more favorable matchups from opposing defenses.

Thus, with a leaner crowd of first-year eligible players, Smith could break through to the final 15 this year.

Kalil is a longer shot, but his resume suggests that he deserves serious consideration.

In his 12 seasons with the Panthers, Kalil was one of the steadiest and smartest centers in the league, and was in the middle of some dynamic offenses.

He went to five Pro Bowls and was All-Pro three times.

It's often difficult for interior linemen to get attention, but Evans being a finalist shows it's possible. The former Saints guard was a five-time All-Pro and went to six Pro Bowls, so the comp is not out of bounds.

Other than Kuechly and Kalil, the list of first-year eligibles includes quarterback Eli Manning (who won two Super Bowls in dramatic fashion but had a .500 career record), running back Marshawn Lynch, guard Marshal Yanda, kicker Adam Vinatieri, pass-rusher Terrell Suggs, and safety Earl Thomas.

Kuechly has the strongest resume of the lot, and there do not appear to be five automatic finalists among that group, which could clear a spot for Smith or some of this year's other nine players in spots 16-25 to push into the finalist list.

In addition to Smith, that group includes Anquan Boldin, Hines Ward, Tiki Barber, Rickey Watters, Eddie George, James Harrison, Robert Mathis, London Fletcher, and Vince Wilfork.

And the real fun begins in 2027, when a certain former Panthers quarterback becomes eligible.

If you believe players such as Willis and Kuechly, who were brilliant for careers shortened by injury, are Hall of Fame-worthy, then can we interest you in a Cam Newton?

While shoulder problems made his career what amounts to an eight-year run, those eight years were amazing.

He dazzled as a two-way threat, setting a rookie record for passing yards and also holding the all-time record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (75). He won the MVP in 2015 when he led the Panthers to a 15-1 record and the Super Bowl.

Quarterback discussions are always spicy, and with Manning eligible this year and players such as Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady (if he ever stops playing) coming soon, it could take some time for Newton to gain traction.

But Newton's supernova career shouldn't be ignored, and being a player who changed the game as significantly as he did works in his favor.

Peppers said as he wrapped up his trip to Canton Sunday that he had a message for his former teammates, urging patience with the process. That's easier for him to say since he reached the promised land, but his point stands.

"You're one of the greatest; you're already that; you don't need someone else to validate you to have that mindset because they've already put the work in," Peppers said. "So, and like I referenced in my speech, everybody is a Hall of Famer. It's just your mindset and how you choose to go about it. And I'll just tell those guys don't worry about it.

"Your time is going to come, it's going to come, you'll be here eventually, whether it's the first time or the fifth time or the 10th, 15th, whenever it is, whenever it happens just be grateful for it and enjoy the process."