Welcome to Rookies Regraded — our ongoing look back at the draft classes that defined their eras. We’re revisiting each class to see how its stars — and its wax — have held up over time. Each installment breaks down the stars of the class and the prices of the wax to come up with a collector verdict: buy, rip, or skip.
So how does the 2017 NFL rookie crop stack up today? Let’s rip in.
Before the Break
Heading into the 2017 NFL Draft, the spotlight belonged to a handful of big-name prospects who looked destined to change franchises — and card markets. Mitch Trubisky was the consensus “QB1,” a steady hand out of North Carolina who scouts swore had all the tools. Deshaun Watson brought championship pedigree and star power after toppling Alabama. Patrick Mahomes was a high risk/high reward gunslinger from Texas Tech. Leonard Fournette was the next great bruiser built for Sundays, while Christian McCaffrey’s versatility made him a fantasy and hobby darling in waiting. And atop it all sat Myles Garrett, the freak athlete every team dreamed of anchoring their defense. It was a draft class stacked with promise, hype, and collectors ready to rip — before anyone knew just how much history was actually sitting in those packs.
The Draft Class
Here’s a look at who remains from the first round of this draft.
Cleveland Browns - Myles Garrett, DE
Chicago Bears - Mitchell Trubisky, QB
San Francisco 49ers - Solomon Thomas, DE
Jacksonville Jaguars - Leonard Fournette, RBTennessee Titans - Corey Davis, WRNew York Jets - Jamal Adams, S
San Diego Chargers - Mike Williams, WRCarolina Panthers - Christian McCaffrey, RB
Cincinnati Bengals - John Ross, WRKansas City Chiefs - Patrick Mahomes, QB
New Orleans Saints - Marshon Lattimore, CB
Houston Texans - DeShaun Watson, QBArizona Cardinals - Haason Reddick, LB
Philadelphia Eagles - Derek Barnett, DE
Indianapolis Colts - Malik Hooker, S
Baltimore Ravens - Marlon Humphrey, CB
Washington Redskins - Jonathan Allen, DT
Tennessee Titans - Adoree’ Jackson, CB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - O.J. Howard, TEDenver Broncos - Garett Bolles, OT
Detroit Lions - Jarrad Davis, LBMiami Dolphins - Charles Harris, DENew York Giants - Evan Engram, TE
Oakland Raiders - Gareon Conley, CBCleveland Browns - Jabrill Peppers, S
Atlanta Falcons - Takkarist McKinley, DEBuffalo Bills - Tre’Davious White, CB
Dallas Cowboys - Taco Charlton, DECleveland Browns - David Njoku, TE
Pittsburgh Steelers - T.J. Watt, LB
San Francisco 49ers - Reuben Foster, LBNew Orleans Saints - Ryan Ramczyk, OT
Notable Later Round Picks: Alvin Kamara, Cooper Kupp, George Kittle, Chris Godwin, Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon.
This rookie class is loaded, to say the least. Even some of the names who are out of the league like Leonard Fournette, had seasons where they were arguably the best in the game.
Today’s Stand Outs
8 years later and this rookie class still looks strong. We have one QB gunning for Brady’s GOAT status, 4 future Hall of Famers, and a ton of players who still make an impact in this league. Let’s break down their best in class.
Patrick Mahomes — 3x Super Bowl Champ, 6x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro — $4,824.40
Myles Garrett — 6x Pro Bowl, 4x All Pro, 1x DPOY — $167.20
Christian McCaffrey — 3x Pro Bowl, 2x All Pro, 1x OPOY — $129.60
T.J. Watt — 7x Pro Bowl, 4x All Pro, 1x DOPY — $148.20
Tre’Davious white — 2x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro — $49.20
Marshon Lattimore — 4x Pro Bowl, 1x DOPY — $48.00
*Listed card prices are from recent sales of the athletes’ base Panini Prizm rookie cards, pulled form alt.xyz.
Wax Overview
Here’s a quick breakdown of the main products you can find these players’ rookies in.
2017 Prizm Football
Current Hobby Box Price: $7,849.95
Current Blaster Price: $799.95
Current Value Pack Price: $394.95
2017 Donruss Optic Football
Current Hobby Box Price: $4,999.99
Current Mega Box Price: $824.95
Current Blaster Price: $449.95
Current Fat Pack Price: $99.95
2017 Donruss Football
Current Blaster Price: $299.95
Current Hanger Pack Price: $179.95
Current Fat Pack Price: $69.95
*Prices via Blowout Cards as of 10/24/25
Hobby Report Card
Here’s how we’re feeling about 2017 NFL Cards in a nutshell.
Star Power: A+
There are at least 4 Hall of Famers in this class.
Depth: A-
Lot of players still playing in the NFL today, but some are already past their prime and wouldn’t be considered sound investments today.
Wax Prices: D
We wouldn’t touch the dollar/card on these with a ten foot pole.
Buy, Rip, or Skip
Verdict: Buy singles & rip cheap wax
We were leaning singles only until we found a small window of value in the lower-end products. For the most part, 2017 wax is priced way out of reach—carried higher and higher as Patrick Mahomes keeps adding to his legacy.
If you’re chasing any of the other future Hall of Famers from this class, stick to singles. But if it’s Mahomes or bust, there’s still a little gamble left in ripping regular Donruss. Hit a base Mahomes Rated Rookie and you’re staring at a card that still gems north of $1,000. Even a PSA 9 will get you about $400. Not bad even if you pull it from your $300 blaster.
Our Takeaway
Here’s something we’ve noticed — and it’s probably going to hold true across this whole series. The price of old wax isn’t really about the odds of pulling a base rookie. Even if you landed every top name from 2017 Prizm and graded them all PSA 10, you’d still be in the red.
What actually drives sealed prices is the chance — however slim — of pulling a parallel or autograph of those rookies — maybe even just the best rookie in the class. That chase factor is what keeps boxes hot long after release. Of course, none of it’s guaranteed. You can rip an entire case and still whiff on the guy you’re chasing. (Trust us, we’ve opened more 2024 Topps Update than we’d like to admit, and still haven’t seen a true Paul Skenes rookie.)
The only way to see if this trend holds up? Keep digging into more classes.
That’s the beauty of Rookies Regraded — looking back, learning the patterns, and maybe figuring out which boxes still have a little magic left inside.
Disclaimer: The content in The Hobby Wire is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Commentary, analysis, and opinions on sports cards, rookies, and the hobby are not financial, investment, or professional advice. Collectors should always do their own research before buying, selling, or trading cards. Market values are volatile and can change rapidly—past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
Unless specified, all pricing references are based on the Prizm/Refractor parallels of an athlete’s Chrome rookie card, with prices from alt.xyz & 130pt.com.
Any odds mentioned were derived from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Fun draft class, I mean Mahomes and CMC alone is insane.