The 49ers have a chance to be well-represented at the Class of 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. Two 49ers legends, Bryant Young and Patrick Willis were among the 15 finalists to be inducted in next year’s class.

For Young this is his 10th year of eligibility and the second time he’s reached this stage of the selection process. He was a finalist in 2020 as well but fell short of getting his gold jacket.

Young garnered all of his Hall of Fame credentials in a 49ers uniform after they selected him No. 7 overall in the 1994 draft. Across 14 seasons Young posted 89.5 sacks and 93 tackles for loss. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, a First-Team All-Pro selection once, a Super Bowl champion and a member of the Hall of Fame’s All-1990s team.

For Willis this is his third year of eligibility and the first time he’s been named a finalist.

His relatively short eight-year career is the only thing keeping him from Canton at this point. In those eight seasons he was the 2007 Defensive Rookie of the Year, a seven-time Pro Bowler and a five-time First-Team All-Pro. Willis led the NFL in tackles twice, had 100-plus tackles in six of his eight seasons, notched eight interceptions and 53 pass breakups, and forced 16 fumbles while racking up 20.5 sacks.

There was nothing Willis couldn’t do as the cornerstone of a dominant 49ers defense that helped define the early 2010s. For his contributions Willis was named to the Hall of Fame’s All-2010s team.

For both Young and Willis, a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame feels more a matter of ‘when’ than ‘if.’

Here’s a list of the 15 finalists for the 2022 class:

Jared Allen
Willie Anderson
Ronde Barber
Tony Boselli
LeRoy Butler
Devin Hester
Torry Holt
Andre Johnson
Sam Mills
Richard Seymour
Zach Thomas
DeMarcus Ware
Reggie Wayne
Patrick Willis
Bryant Young

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will be revealed on Feb. 10.