The rookie cards you’ll see in most of the early season NFL trading card products this season is once again dominated by offensive players and wide receivers, in particular.
Panini America and the NFLPA have completed the 2020 Rookie Premiere list, showcasing a group of 42 players who will be featured most prominently in the company’s trading card products in the months ahead.
This year, the three-day physical event that includes rookie card photos and giant autograph sessions, was cancelled by NFL Players Inc., the NFLPA’s marketing and licensing arm because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Panini will have to get creative with the photos used in the cards that arrive during the 2020 season while obtaining the thousands of autographs remotely.
Panini primarily drives player selection by identifying the players it sees as “the most promising young prospects based on position, college performance, draft status and projected overall demand and marketability.”
This year’s Rookie Premiere class includes 20 wide receivers, 12 running backs, eight quarterbacks, tight end Cole Kmet and defensive end Chase Young.
“NFLPA Rookie Premiere has been a pioneering event in professional sports, providing our business partners with unparalleled early access to the game’s marketable new players. This year, faced with the cancelation of the event, our longtime partner Panini innovated a process that will ultimately provide the company with the content they need to fuel their football business and strengthen the bond between player and collector,” said Steve Scebelo, Interim President, NFL Players Inc., in a news release.
2020 ROOKIE PREMIERE CLASS LIST
QUARTERBACKS:
Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins), Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers), Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers), Jacob Eason (Indianapolis Colts), Jake Fromm (Buffalo Bills), Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles), James Morgan (New York Jets)
RUNNING BACKS:
D’Andre Swift (Detroit Lions), J.K. Dobbins (Baltimore Ravens), Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Kansas City Chiefs), Cam Akers (Los Angeles Rams), A.J. Dillon (Green Bay Packers), Zack Moss (Buffalo Bills), Ke’Shawn Vaughn (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Darrynton Evans (Tennessee Titans), Joshua Kelley (Los Angeles Chargers), La’Mical Perine (New York Jets), Anthony McFarland Jr. (Pittsburgh Steelers)
WIDE RECEIVERS:
Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos), CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys), Henry Ruggs III (Las Vegas Raiders), Laviska Shenault Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars), Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals), Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), Michael Pittman Jr. (Indianapolis Colts), Denzel Mims (New York Jets), Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers), K.J. Hamler (Denver Broncos), Jalen Reagor (Philadelphia Eagles), Chase Claypool (Pittsburgh Steelers), Van Jefferson (Los Angeles Rams), Antonio Gibson (Washington Redskins), Lynn Bowden Jr. (Las Vegas Raiders), Bryan Edwards (Las Vegas Raiders), Devin Duvernay (Baltimore Ravens), Gabriel Davis (Buffalo Bills), Antonio Gandy-Golden (Washington Redskins), Tyler Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
DEFENSE:
Chase Young (Washington Redskins)
TIGHT END:
Cole Kmet (Chicago Bears)
