Editor’s note: Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area is a member of the 50-person Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

Former 49ers running back Frank Gore, the No. 3 rusher in NFL history, is among 13 nominees in their first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Quarterback Alex Smith, also in his first year of eligibility, was announced Wednesday morning as part of 128 modern-era players on the ballot for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

Smith was the No. 1 overall pick of the 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft. Gore was the 49ers’ third-round pick that same year, chosen at No. 65 overall.

Gore played 16 seasons in the NFL, including his first 10 with the 49ers. The 49ers’ all-team leading rusher (11,073 yards) ranks behind only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton on the all-time list with 16,000 career yards rushing. He was selected to the Pro Bowl five times in his career.

Gore, quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and tight ends Jason Witten and Greg Olsen are among the top first-year eligible candidates.

There are 16 former 49ers who were nominated: quarterbacks Jeff Garcia and Smith, running backs Ricky Watters and Gore, wide receivers Anquan Boldin, Brandon Lloyd, tight ends Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker, offensive lineman Joe Staley, defensive linemen Justin Smith and Ted Washington, linebackers NaVorro Bowman, Takeo Spikes and Lee Woodall, and kickers David Akers and Gary Anderson.

A screening committee will reduce the list of nominees to 50 individuals to advance in the process. The results of that reduction is scheduled to be announced in mid-October.

The full 50-person Hall of Fame Selection Committee will vote to further reduce the list to 25 semifinalists later in the fall. Then, another vote will determine the 15 modern-era finalists to be discussed during the annual selection meeting head of Super Bowl LX.

Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri automatically advance to the final 15 for the Class of 2026 because they reached the final seven in the voting for the Class of 2025.

During the selection meeting, the list of candidates will be trimmed from 15 to 10, then from 10 to seven in separate votes. Committee members will vote for five of the seven finalists. Only those receiving at least 80 percent of the final vote will be inducted as part of the Class of 2026.

In addition to 15 modern-era finalists, the selection committee will discuss three seniors finalists, a coach Finalist and a contributor finalist as potential members of the Class of 2026.The selection process bylaws provide that from four and eight new members will be elected next year.

MODERN-ERA NOMINEES

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2026

*-Finalist (final 15) for the Class of 2025. Underline indicates first year of eligibility. (Players must have last played at least five full seasons ago to be eligible for nomination. Therefore, any individual who last played in 2020 is eligible for the first time in 2026.)

QUARTERBACKS (10): Drew Brees, Randall Cunningham, Jake Delhomme, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, *-Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb, Steve McNair, Philip Rivers, Alex Smith.

RUNNING BACKS (21): Shaun Alexander, Mike Alstott (FB), Tiki Barber, Larry Centers (FB), Jamaal Charles, Corey Dillon, Warrick Dunn, Arian Foster, Eddie George, Frank Gore, Priest Holmes, Steven Jackson, Chris Johnson, Thomas Jones, Jamal Lewis, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy, Eric Metcalf (also WR/PR/KR), Lorenzo Neal (FB), *-Fred Taylor, Ricky Watters.

WIDE RECEIVERS (18): Anquan Boldin, Donald Driver, Larry Fitzgerald, *-Torry Holt, Chad Johnson, Brandon Lloyd, Brandon Marshall, Derrick Mason, Herman Moore, Muhsin Muhammad, Jordy Nelson, Jimmy Smith, Rod Smith, *-Steve Smith Sr., Hines Ward, *-Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker, Roddy White.

TIGHT ENDS (6): Vernon Davis, Zach Miller, Greg Olsen, Wesley Walls, Delanie Walker, Jason Witten. 

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (22): *-Willie Anderson (T), Matt Birk (C), Lomas Brown (T), Ruben Brown (G), Ryan Clady (T), David DeCastro (G), *-Jahri Evans (G), Jordan Gross (T), Ryan Kalil (C), Olin Kreutz (C), Nick Mangold (C), Logan Mankins (G), Tom Nalen (C), Maurkice Pouncey (C), Jeff Saturday (C), Josh Sitton (G), Joe Staley (T), Brian Waters (G), Richmond Webb (T), Erik Williams (T), Steve Wisniewski (G), *-Marshal Yanda (G).

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (13): John Abraham (DE also LB), Geno Atkins (DT), Jurrell Casey (DT), Elvis Dumervil (DE), La’Roi Glover (DT/NT), Robert Mathis (DE), Haloti Ngata (DT),  Jay Ratliff (DE), Simeon Rice (DE), Justin Smith (DE), Ted Washington (NT/DT), Vince Wilfork (DT/NT), Kevin Williams (DT).

LINEBACKERS (14): NaVorro Bowman, Lance Briggs, Tedy Bruschi, Thomas Davis, James Farrior, London Fletcher, James Harrison, A.J. Hawk, *-Luke Kuechly, Clay Matthews III, Dat Nguyen, Takeo Spikes, *-Terrell Suggs, Lee Woodall. 

DEFENSIVE BACKS (15): Eric Berry (S), Kam Chancellor (S), Nick Collins (S), DeAngelo Hall (DB), Rodney Harrison (S), James Hasty (CB), Carnell Lake (DB), Allen Rossum (DB), Asante Samuel (CB), Patrick Surtain (CB), Earl Thomas (S), Charles Tillman (CB), Troy Vincent (CB), Adrian Wilson (S), *-Darren Woodson (S).

PUNTERS/KICKERS (7): David Akers (K), Gary Anderson (K), Jason Hanson (K), John Kasay (K), Sean Landeta (P), Shane Lechler (P), *-Adam Vinatieri (K).

SPECIAL TEAMS (2): Josh Cribbs (KR/PR also WR), Brian Mitchell (KR/PR also RB).

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