To truly evaluate an NFL Draft, the experts say it takes three to five years.
But, really, where is the fun in that?
Draftniks will be handing out grades by Sunday night and assessing the long-term prospects of players by mid-October.
At cllct, we're not much different — with the exception being we evaluate prospects by their collectibility.
So, if we could go back in time to the 2024 NFL Draft, and pick the top 10 according to each players' memorabilia market, how would that class stack up?
We're glad you asked:
1. Jayden Daniels
This time last year, USC quarterback Caleb Wiliams was the clear choice to be selected No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears. But one year later, the No. 2 overall pick is the clear hobby superstar.
Daniels led the Washington Commanders to a 12-5 record as a rookie, while passing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, and collectors have swarmed to his key cards in recent months.
Market Movers has tracked more than 104,000 sales for Daniels’ cards over the last 365 days — the second-most of any football player over that span behind only Houston Texans star C.J. Stroud.
Daniels has the highest single sale of anyone from the 2024 Draft class, too, with his 2024 Panini Absolute Football Green Kaboom 1/1 PSA 8 selling for $85,000 on eBay in January.
According to Card Ladder, Daniels has six public sales higher than the top result for any other player on this list.
2. Bo Nix
Nix is likely the biggest surprise from the 2024 NFL Draft after being selected 12th overall by the Denver Broncos.
The rookie QB delivered on the field — Nix completed 66% of his passes for 3,775 yards and 29 TDs — and collectors adjusted their priorities accordingly.
Of the players from the 2024 class, Nix’s nearly 53,000 sales tracked by Market Movers are the second-most, while the $42,154 paid for his 2024 Panini Absolute Football Green Kaboom 1/1 PSA 9 on Alt in February is the third-highest sale among the group.
3. Drake Maye
Of the top picks from the 2024 draft, Maye is possibly the player collectors have held interest in based strictly on potential the most.
The Patriots weren’t good last season — they won just three of the 13 games Maye played in — but the first-year QB did show flashes — even if his 2,276 passing yards, 15 TDs and 10 interceptions aren’t overwhelmingly strong numbers.
The nearly 47,000 sales tracked for Maye by Market Movers were the third-most in the class, and the $45,200 sale for his 2024 Panini Absolute Football Kaboom 1/1 PSA 10 at Alt in February is the No. 2-ranked sale for a player from the class.
Maye isn’t in trouble among collectors yet, but after the Mac Jones catastrophe, don’t be surprised when collectors move on quickly if Maye doesn’t make a jump in his second year.
4. Caleb Williams
The No. 1 overall pick last season, Williams’ pre-draft hype didn’t last throughout another tough season for the Bears.
The former Trojans quarterback played well on paper, though, and completed 63% of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 TDs and just six interceptions.
There are still major concerns about the franchise’s direction, but there are enough pieces around Williams, it shouldn’t be hard to see him making a jump to compete with Daniels as the best from the class.
Market Movers has tracked more than 46,000 sales for Williams over the last year, which is the fourth-most from the class.
A high sale of $37,200 for his 2024 Topps NOW 1st Pick 1/1 is likely lower than many would expect, but that’s possibly because the key card for the players above — the 2024 Panini Absolute Football Green Kaboom Vertical 1/1 — hasn’t sold for Williams yet.
Williams’ horizontal variation of the card, which is considered slightly less desirable, fetched $21,900 on eBay in April.
5. J.J. McCarthy
Like Nix, McCarthy is another surprise from the 2024 draft, though it’s because he didn’t play as a rookie.
McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury during last year’s preseason, and collectors have been stashing his key cards in anticipation of his first real games.
That moment could be arriving soon, though, and early indicators point toward McCarthy starting the season as QB1 in Minnesota.
To date, the highest public sale for any McCarthy card is the $31,800 paid for 2024 Panini Prizm Black Shimmer 1/1 CGC Authentic in February.
6. Michael Penix Jr.
Penix Jr. was by far the biggest surprise of the actual draft, with Atlanta opting to take the former Washington Huskies quarterback after signing Kirk Cousins to a massive contract during the offseason.
Cousins flopped in Atlanta, but Penix Jr. looked like a legitimate pro in his limited reps under center.
Despite starting later than others on this list, Penix Jr. had more than 36,000 sales logged by Market Movers over the last year.
To date, the high sale for Penix Jr. is the $27,147 paid for his 2024 Panini Absolute Football Kaboom Green 1/1 PSA 8 at Goldin in February.
7. Malik Nabers
The NFL is a quarterback-driven league and so is the football card market. So, it’s not until No. 7 where we find the first non-QB from the 2024 class.
Nabers falls here largely because of an impressive $23,100 sale for his 2024 Panini Prizm Black Finite 1/1 PSA 10 at Fanatics Collect in February.
To put it into perspective, that sale is already higher than the public records for current stars such as A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
8. Brock Bowers
Of the impact non-QBs from the class, Bowers might be the best so far.
The Georgia product broke a number of records in 2024, including the most receiving yards by a rookie tight end and the number of receptions by a first-year pro with 112. Bowers even set the Raiders franchise record for catches in a season.
Tight ends are rarely collectible, but stars such as Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski have maintained strong followings.
So far, the record public sale for any Bowers card is the $14,000 paid for his 2024 Panini Absolute Football Green Kaboom 1/1 PSA 8 on eBay in February.
9. Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison Jr.’s collectibles career got off to a wonky start due to a lawsuit with Fanatics that was eventually settled in March, and his on-field play wasn’t exceptional, either.
The fourth overall pick and first non-QB to be selected from the class, Harrison Jr. caught just 62 passes for 885 yards in 2024.
His skillset is undeniable, however, so collectors have kept tabs. It’s really only the NFL’s most elite receivers who hold a strong hobby following, but Harrison Jr. has the genes and the talent to be among that group.
To date, the most paid for any Harrison Jr. card at public auction is the $19,200 his 2024 Panini Prizm Black Finite 1/1 BGS 9.5 fetched on Alt in March.
10. Rome Odunze
The ninth overall pick in 2024, Odunze is a major reason some collectors and casual fans are optimistic about Caleb Williams — the young Chicago QB needs major weapons to succeed, and Odunze could be exactly that if he pans out.
Odunze finished 2024 with 54 catches, 734 yards and just three touchdowns, but he also has been a popular breakout pick among some NFL experts for next season.
So far, the record public sale for any Odunze card is the $4,252 paid for his 2024 Panini Absolute Green Kaboom 1/1 PSA 8 on eBay in March.
Market Movers has also logged more than 16,00 sales for Odunze over the last year.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture. He was previously the Collectibles Editor at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on X and Instagram @benmburrows.