The line between card collecting and card investing can get blurry at times, but the prospect of landing a great breakout player appeals to both. Young stars are full of potential; no one knows how brightly they’ll burn, or for how long. The only sure thing is you’re much better off getting in on the ground floor with your favorite up-and-comers than to wait until they’ve become household names.

To help you get ahead of the curve, here are five young football stars who boast promising trajectories — but who aren’t (yet) the hottest pickups around.

5. Tyler Shough (QB, New Orleans Saints)

Key 2025 Stats: 2,384 yards, 10 TDs and 6 INTs over 11 games as a rookie starter.

Shough stepped into the Saints’ starting role in Week 9 of last season against the Rams (welcome to the league, rookie). A few wobbly starts later Shough began flashing signs of high-caliber QB potential, rallying New Orleans's lost season with a surprising 4-1 finish. The team appears heavily invested in him being the future of the offense, as proved by the addition of a shiny new receiving threat in Jordyn Tyson (who we'll get to in a minute). With Cam Ward underwhelming in Tennessee, there’s a chance Shough turns out to be the defining QB of this 2025 class.

Recent Benchmarks: Shough’s 2025 Panini Silver Prizm rookie card can regularly be found in online auctions for under $40.

4. Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Carolina Panthers)

Key 2025 Stats: 70 catches for 1,014 yards and 7 TDs as a rookie.

McMillan successfully cleared the 1,000-yard threshold his rookie year, showcasing all the ways his huge prototypical wide receiver frame makes him such a matchup nightmare. As the undisputed WR1 on Carolina’s offense, and with the Panthers projected to play plenty of catch-up football script-wise (sorry Panthers), his target volume will likely remain exceptionally high. Best of all for collectors, his rookie card prices are still flying under the radar for a player off to such a promising start.

Recent Benchmarks: McMillan's Panini Silver Prizm rookie card is currently hovering around $8 to $10 raw.

3. Jordyn Tyson (WR, New Orleans Saints)

Key 2025 Stats: 61 receptions for 711 yards and 8 TDs across 9 games, averaging 79 receiving yards per game at Arizona State.

New Orleans adding No. 8 overall pick Jordyn Tyson to the mix further boosts our confidence in a resurgent Saints offense this fall. That elite draft capital instantly ties his professional fortunes to an up-and-coming Shough, and playing opposite Chris Olave could prove to be a benefit rather than a hindrance as defenses key in on the proven veteran.

Tyson’s hamstring issue (a different one than the one he hurt in college) has also kept him out of the preseason spotlight, conveniently depressing any hype for a player some draft analysts argue is the best receiver in his class.

Recent Benchmarks: The new Topps Flagship rookie cards for Tyson have several variants available for under $2.

2. Jadarian Price (RB, Seattle Seahawks)

Key 2025 Stats: 113 carries for 674 yards and 13 rushing TDs.

Price spent his collegiate career overshadowed by bona fide stud Jeremiyah Love, keeping his true potential largely under wraps — until now. Backfilling Ken Walker’s vacant starting role in Seattle, Price lands in a dream situation for a player who’s already proven incredibly efficient with the ball in his hands.

The Seahawks love the ground game, and taking Price in the first round should all but solidify him as the starter over George Holani (at least until Charbonnet returns in the back half of the season, and by then — who knows). Add in frequent run-friendly game scripts and you get a prime breakout candidate.

Recent Benchmarks: Price’s Topps Flagship base cards and Bowman University Chrome cards are everywhere for dirt cheap.

1. Bo Nix (QB, Denver Broncos)

Key 2025 Stats: Completed 63.4% of passes last year for 3,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in the regular season.

Nix had a better 2025 than most people realize. It peaked with leading the Broncos over Buffalo and into the AFC title game — though it hit rock bottom moments afterward with the news that Nix had suffered a broken ankle late in the contest. Still, with the addition of WR Jaylen Waddle this offseason the Denver offense should again be one to produce good numbers; Vegas lines currently have the Broncos pegged for 9.5 wins against a schedule primed for several high-scoring divisional shootouts.

Considering the Broncos’ high odds of a repeat playoff run, the hype for Nix is relatively low (for now).

Recent Benchmarks: A raw 2024 Panini Silver Prizm Bo Nix rookie card currently goes for $60 to $75.

Collector Takeaway

When building your watchlist for this season, don't forget to add players due for sophomore breakouts, injury bounce-backs and rookie campaigns currently being overshadowed by bigger names; target raw, clean cards or undervalued parallels now and let their on-field production do the heavy lifting.

Which breakout player's card are you aggressively buying before Week 1?

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