KS: Aik, the NFL draft is wrapped up. Overall, from a card standpoint, which player do you think ended up in the best spot?
AT: Honestly, that’s a tough one – there are several players that landed in great spots, including nearly all the quarterbacks taken. Personally though, I think Ashton Jeanty landed in the best spot with the Raiders when considering coaching staff, positional need, and location/fan base.
KS: This is an early prediction, but who do you think will end up being the rookie of the year in trading cards for this class?
AT: If he starts most of the games this season, Cam Ward should be the leading candidate for rookie of the year in trading cards, especially given his position. As far as actual rookie of the year, it would be a great storyline to see Travis Hunter’s dual-threat capabilities utilized to the maximum, and for him to be in serious consideration for the award on both sides of the ball.
AT: I like where the running back class ended up this year and if I qualify “under-the radar” as Day 3 draftees, then I’d lean towards Jaydon Blue and Bhayshul Tuten as players with upside in good situations.
KS: When will we be seeing autographed cards of these players, and when will we be seeing them on cards in their NFL uniforms?
AT: We’ll have autographs of these players starting with Score and NFL uniforms beginning with Luminance’s on-card autographs.
AT: He’ll certainly be a little polarizing in the trading card community. Being drafted to Cleveland doesn’t necessarily hurt as we could have imagined that happening earlier in the draft. Provided his overall talent can stand out in a relatively crowded QB room, he certainly has everything needed to prove he’s worthy of card-collecting attention.
KS: Asking for another early prediction. Who’s a veteran player that you think is primed for a breakout year with his trading cards?
AT: Jauan Jennings nearly reached 1,000 yards last season so he’s been trending up, but given his expected playing time and the rapport he’s grown with Brock Purdy, he can massively surpass that this season and hopefully see a nice breakout on the trading card side as well.
KS: Are there any exciting new programs and cards collectors should be looking out for with this year’s NFL releases?
AT: We’re extremely excited to have Patrick Mahomes II back as part of our autograph roster and think collectors will also appreciate the value that he brings to our products.
KS: What does Panini have coming up for NFL products?
AT: Aside from Score and Luminance, we’ll be following up with Donruss Elite and Certified to begin the 2025 season. Throughout this season, we’ll be maintaining a good mix of Hobby and Retail programs, along with a balanced set of price points.
AT: I think one of the biggest hurdles was just navigating the draft and its effects on our player lists. Now that it has passed, we’re getting everything updated and just need to maintain an even manufacturing cadence to ensure all our products have breathing room in the market as we move towards the close of the season.
KS: I’ll get you out of here on this. What is your bold prediction for the football card world in 2025?
AT: The year/season might start slow but when all is said and done, this draft will be one of the most intriguing with regards to football cards and has multiple players considered “generational talents.”
Hobby Musings: Panini NFL in 2025
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
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