Some guys from the NE defense need to make it, don't they? If you don't take Bruschi, who do you take? Harrison is very good, but he doesn't have all 3 rings. McGinnest? Wilfork? Who? Or was NE's success just Tom Brady and Bellicheck's schemes?
I'm not sure any Patriots' defenders from this current Super Bowl era will even get serious consideration. Harrison and Law would be the two with the best chance currently, and I can't say either are likely to get the nod at this point.People tend to forget how hard it is to get into the Pro Football HOF, particularly at certain positions. At LB, Harry Carson had to fight to get in for ages. Derrick Thomas might have trouble getting in.
In the modern era, only 16 LBs have been inducted (including Carson):
Bobby Bell (also DE) 1963-1974
Nick Buoniconti 1962-1974, 1976
#### Butkus 1965-1973
Harry Carson 1976-1988
George Connor (also DT, OT) 1948-1955
Bill George 1952-1966
Jack Ham 1971-1982
Ted Hendricks 1969-1983
Sam Huff 1956-1967, 1969
Jack Lambert 1974-1984
Willie Lanier 1967-1977
Ray Nitschke 1958-1972
Joe Schmidt 1953-1965
Mike Singletary 1981-1992
Lawrence Taylor 1981-1993
Dave Wilcox 1964-1974While the PFHOF certainly does factor championships into account, you have to have a pretty compelling body of work individually too, particularly for modern era players.
Of Bruschi's direct contemporaries...you have to assume that Derrick Brooks and Ray Lewis are the locks of this era. You've also got Junior Seau who's likely a first ballot inductee. How many LBs will get in from this time period? History says not too many more than those guys.
Bruschi made one Pro Bowl...do you realize how many active linebackers have made at least three Pro Bowls?
Brian Urlacher (4 PBs, plus one Defensive Player of the Year)
Jeremiah Trotter (4 PBs)
Derrick Brooks (9 PBs, plus one Defensive Player of the Year)
Keith Brooking (4 PBs)
Al Wilson (3 PBs)
Zach Thomas (5 PBs)
Joey Porter (3 PBs)
Ray Lewis (5 PBs plus one Defensive Player of the Year)
Lavar Arrington (3 PBs)
Peter Boulware (3 PBs)
Junior Seau (11 PBs)