The NFL is as much about rookies as any other sport in the hobby. So much of the product calendar is about the class, that much of the licensing for the league is built around it. When a good rookie class happens, the NFL hobby is in a good state. If the rookie class is bad, like it was in 2013, good bye. Here are some of the rookies that I have found the most interesting.

2014 – Odell Beckham Jr

Its not that he came out of nowhere, because he was a mid first round pick. It was the fervor in which he rocketed to the top of the class when he returned from injury. Beckham didnt even play the whole year, but he performed in such a maniacal fashion that the hobby jumped on board almost instantly. For a WR in football cards to have the value he has over famous college QBs like Manziel, it takes a lot.

2014 Flawless Odell Beckham Jr. Jumbo Patch Auto

2014 Bowman Chrome Odell Beckham Auto Refractor

2014 Contenders Odell Beckham Cracked Ice Ticket Auto /22

2014 Topps Platinum Odell Beckham Superfractor Auto 1/1

2013 – Eddie Lacy

For a team that lives and dies by the passing game, it was very interesting to see the way Eddie Lacy performed, even without Aaron Rodgers for most of the second half. He was a second round pick, but he was on a highly collected team, leading to some hobby relevance. Usually, for a running back, you need to break out like gang busters to make it work in the hobby. Lacy was lucky the rest of the class was so bad.

2013 Topps Five Star Eddie Lacy Auto Inscription

2013 National Treasures Eddie Lacy Auto Rookie Patch

2012 – Russell Wilson

The reason Wilson gets the nod over Luck and Griffin (the 2012 ROY), is because he was never supposed to be as good as he was. The Seahawks drafted him as a project to sit behind Matt Flynn, but Wilson was so good in the workouts and preseason, they had to give him a shot. Although he didnt really get his footing until the second half of the season, he almost became an immediate hobby superstar. Two Super Bowls and one ring later, he still is near the top.

2012 Exquisite Russell Wilson Auto Rookie Patch

2012 Contenders Russell Wilson Auto Ticket RC BGS 9.5

2011 – Cam Newton

I was not a Cam Newton fan, and to this day, im still on the hater side of his fan base. That being said, he broke almost every rookie record during his first year in the league, and his cards were insane during that time. He hasnt been able to replicate that success again, but man, he was nuts during 2011.

2011 Topps Five Star Cam Newton Rookie Auto Patch

2011 Exquisite Cam Newton Rookie Auto Patch Tag Logo

2010 – Tim Tebow

Although Sam Bradford was the hottest rookie and ROY, Tebow was the story of 2010. To this day, there is still a legion of fans that want to see him get another shot. I was not among those individuals at the time, but I was in the hobby minority there. He only started 6 games with less than stellar results, but he made waves like no one had ever made with his amount of talent. He was probably better suited to play a position other than QB, but that didnt stop the hobby from going gaga over him.

2010 Contenders Tim Tebow Rookie Ticket Auto

2010 Triple Threads Tim Tebow / John Elway Booklet Relic Auto

2009 – Percy Harvin

Although Sanchez and Stafford became hobby favorites, it didnt happen until the following year. Harvin was the man in 2009 when it came to hobby interest, although Mark Sanchez did become a close second. As a dynamic playmaker for the Vikings, he became a guy who many collectors wanted to have for their displays. Since then, he has relatively fallen off the face of the earth, save his Super Bowl performance in 2013.

2009 SP Authentic Percy Harvin Auto Rookie Patch

2009 Ultimate Collection Percy Harvin Auto RC

2008 – Joe Flacco

Never having played at a prestigious program in college, Flacco was a question mark coming into the 2008 season. The hobby was lukewarm in its response as well, until he rode the Ravens top defense to a playoff berth. Since then, he hasnt really caught on the way one would expect, which I credited to his vanilla persona in the spotlight.

2008 Exquisite Joe Flacco Auto Rookie Patch

2008 Bowman Chrome Joe Flacco Orange Refractor Auto /15

2007 – Adrian Peterson

There was a lot of buzz around the 2007 class, especially coming off one of the most buzz worthy classes of all time in 2006. Peterson turned heads prior to the draft, but injuries were a concern. When he set the NFL record for yards in a single game, the world exploded. He became a hobby superstar much in the way Beckham has this year, and even with a scandal, he is still one of the most valuable active running backs in the hobby. Just goes to show you what people think about his career.

2007 Topps Chrome Adrian Peterson Rookie Auto Superfractor /10

2007 SP Authentic Adrian Peterson Rookie Auto Patch

2006 – Reggie Bush

I joined the football hobby around 2004, after years of collecting baseball. I really didnt get my feet wet until 2006 when the hype around Bush, Young and Leinart took the hobby by storm. The scary thing is, 2006 has since become a relative wasteland, as very few of the big name offensive rookies ever lived up to the hype. Despite a disappointing career, his 2006 cards maintain value just for the expectations behind that fabled season.

2006 Contenders Reggie Bush Auto Ticket RC

2006 Exquisite Reggie Bush Auto Rookie Patch /99

2005 – Cadillac Williams

You would expect that Aaron Rodgers would be an easy shoo in for the most interesting rookie of 2005, but he didnt play for two years sitting behind Brett Favre. Before the Rodgers we know and love came to be, Cadillac was the big name, putting up over 1000 yards in his rookie year. 2005 is still a tough class to support without Rodgers being the main guy, especially when Alex Smith really didnt pan out the way everyone thought.

2005 Topps Finest Cadillac Williams Auto RC

2005 Contenders Cadillac Williams Auto Rookie Ticket

2004 – Ben Roethlisberger

Like Flacco, Big Ben came from a school that isnt known for football. In his rookie year, he put up numbers that many of today’s rookies would kill to have, and the hobby responded in kind. Considering that Rivers and Manning were also in this class, 2004 might end up being one of the better modern hobby rookie classes.

2004 SP Authentic Ben Roethlisberger Rookie Auto Patch

2004 Bowman Chrome Ben Roethlisberger Auto RC

I think we are in for another interesting year this year with Winston and Mariota, but im still curious to see how the back end of the class performs. Although most of the time its about the QBs now, there are some names on this list that show its not always about them.