Five NFL non-quarterbacks to target at The National
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The National Sports Collectors Convention is underway at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. What should be a busy weekend on the show floor begins Friday, and with Thursday’s Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio marking the sports return, now is the time to snag football cards before the market ebbs and flows with the NFL regular season.
Whether one focuses on collecting, dealing or investing in football cards, quarterbacks dominate the market.
RELATED: What to know about the National Sports Collectors Convention
Six quarterbacks are among the 10 football cards Card Ladder is currently using for the CL50 index (50 hand-selected cards that best represent the card market). The non-quarterbacks with cards included in the CL50 (Jim Brown's 1958 Topps rookie card, Walter Payton's 1976 Topps rookie card, Jerry Rice's 1986 Topps rookie card and Barry Sanders' 1989 Score rookie card) are considered among the greatest players in NFL history, showing what it takes for a non-quarterback to move the needle in the football card market.
Still, some non-quarterbacks are trending in the right direction ahead of the 2025 season. Specifically, there are five non-quarterbacks whose cards are trending in the right direction and should be under consideration for purchase at The National.
De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins moved on from Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. in the offseason, opening the door for Achane to be the No. 1 running back. A 2023 third-round draft pick out of Texas A&M, Achane led the Dolphins with 907 yards rushing while catching 78 passes and scoring 12 total touchdowns.
The success of coach Mike McDaniels’ offense hinges on the health of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has battled his share of health issues since entering the league in 2020. The uncertainty makes projecting the hobby value of any offensive player for the Dolphins a crapshoot, but with 11 Card Ladder-verified sales of Achane’s PSA 10 Prizm Silver rookie card (#365) ranging from $30-$50 (the most recent eBay sale split the difference at $40 on Tuesday)
Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
Even with Daniel Jones and Drew Lock quarterbacking the team, Nabers had a banner season as a rookie. The 2024 first-round pick from LSU caught a franchise-rookie-record 109 passes and tallied 1,204 yards receiving.
Whether the offseason addition of Russell Wilson stabilizes the quarterback position or not, the Giants using a first-round pick on quarterback Jaxson Dart makes Nabers a huge piece of the franchise’s future.
There was a Card Ladder-verified sale of Nabers’ 2024 Prizm Silver rookie card (#370) for an accepted eBay offer of $10 on July 20. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has buoyed the hobby value of the 2024 rookie class. Still, Nabers can be had for a fraction of the cost (the most recent Card Ladder-verified sale of Daniels’ raw Prizm Silver rookie card was for $193.50 on Thursday), which would appear to be tremendous value for one of the league’s top young wide receivers.
Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
A monster rookie season (105 receptions, 1,486 yards and six touchdowns) by the 2023 fifth-round pick from BYU caused Nacua’s market to skyrocket. Card Ladder’s records show sales of Nacua’s 2023 Prizm Silver rookie card (#357) in a PSA 10 grade were well over $200 following the 2023 season, with a record sale of $405 on Feb. 12, 2024.
Unfortunately, Nacua’s market suffered after a knee injury caused him to miss six games during the 2024 season. Even though the Rams made the playoffs with Nacua putting up good numbers (11 receptions for 141 yards in two games), it did little to impact the price of Nacua’s cards.
The most recent PSA 10 sale of Nacua’s Prizm Silver rookie card was a $79 on eBay sale on Monday. The card sold for an average of $85, according to 17 Card Ladder-verified sales in July.
The Rams released Cooper Kupp in March, and although the team signed Davante Adams as a free agent, Nacua enters his third NFL season as Matthew Stafford’s No. 1 target. A healthy 2025 campaign could make Nacua’s current prices seem like a bargain down the road.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
According to Card Ladder, sales of Robinson’s 2023 Prizm Silver rookie card (#305) in PSA 10 condition reached as low as $36 late in the 2024 season. Nevertheless, after finishing his second NFL season as the league’s third-leading rusher (1,456 yards) and a first-time Pro Bowl selection, Robinson’s arrow is pointing up.
Robinson is expected to be a popular pick early in fantasy football drafts after catching 61 passes and scoring 15 total touchdowns for the Falcons in 2024. That could be powering the surge of Robinson’s Prizm Silver, with 10 Card Ladder-verified sales in July averaging $91.
Another feather in Robinson’s cap when it comes to the hobby is that he’s one of the most high-profile 2023 rookies with autographs in licensed products. A 2023 first-round pick who won the Doak Walker Award as college football’s top running back as a junior for the Texas Longhorns in 2022, Robinson’s one-of-one rookie patch autograph from Panini’s National Treasures sold for $6,101 in an eBay auction on June 26.
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Thomas will play a big part in whether or not Trevor Lawrence will start ascending toward the level of play those holding his cards (and the front office of the Jaguars) want him to reach. Thomas set franchise rookie records in 2024 with 87 receptions for 1,284 yards and 10 touchdowns, showing the franchise hit a home run when they selected him out of LSU with the 23rd overall pick of the 2024 draft.
Where Thomas’ market goes will depend on factors out of his control, namely Lawrence’s play and how much time 2025 No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter sees on offense. Still, with multiple raw sales of Thomas’ 2024 Prizm Silver rookie card (#314) under $10 (the most recent Card Ladder-verified sale was a $9 eBay sale on Wednesday), Thomas should get a long look from collectors and hobbyists eyeing a possible flip down the road.
-1f9b5aba42acf122a9de17edfe18f6ad.jpeg "Jeff Howe")
Jeff Howe is a sports writer with over two decades of professional experience contributing to ESPN.com, Rivals.com and the Sporting News, among other publications. He currently reports on the Texas Longhorns for “On Texas Football” after covering the Longhorns for 247Sports and CBS Sports. His hobby journey started when he was 6 years old, hanging out at his dad’s card shop and collecting cards alongside his two brothers.