Sports Cards Daily

As promised, now that the NFL Draft has come and gone for another year, it’s time to revise my list of players whose rookie cards should be in the highest demand early in the 2009 football card season. Important factors to consider here are the quality of the drafting team, the size and history of the market the player is entering and the prospects for early playing time.

I still feel pretty comfortable with my first crack at this last week, and there aren’t many new names in my top 10. Still, the draft did shuffle the deck a little bit:

1. Mark Sanchez, QB, New York Jets - He has all the ingredients to be the hottest rookie out of the gate, as he’s a quarterback going from a powerhouse college program to the number one market in the NFL. On top of that, the Jets should be half decent, and Sanchez’s chances to play early seem pretty good.
2. Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions - He’ll get a lot of attention as the number on overall pick. But I believe he’ll be hurt just a tad by becoming a Lion, and he may sit behind Daunte Culpepper during his first year.
3. Michael Crabtree, WR, San Francisco 49ers - The Texas Tech product slid just a few spots when the Raiders stunned everyone and took Darrius Heyward-Bey at No. 7. That perceived snub should give Crabtree plenty of motivation to prove himself right away.
4. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver Broncos - He went earlier than many expected, and I think that separates him a bit from other backs in the draft class. The card companies should come up with plenty of cool things to pair him with college teammate Stafford.
5. Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles - The usually conservative Eagles must really like Maclin. His hobby stock is helped by going to a team that is smart enough to figure out ways for him to contribute right away and good enough to make a run at a championship.
6. Pat White, QB, Miami Dolphins - White couldn’t have landed in a better spot than Miami, who most likely will design some Wildcat plays for him. Don’t count him out to develop into a legit NFL quarterback down the road either.
7. Percy Harvin, WR, Minnesota Vikings - Unless they’re extremely serious, off the field issues don’t usually affect the desirability of players’ rookie cards. That’s good new for Harvin, who should find a way to put his versatility on display in his first season.
8. Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants - The big receiver from UNC lands in the Big Apple with a game many scouts say is NFL-ready. He’ll get a chance to get on the field now that the G-men have bid adieu to Plaxico Burress.
9. Chris “Beanie” Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals - Though he almost slid all the way out of the first round, Wells ended up in a good situation with the defending NFC champs. It will be interesting to see what his role is as a rookie.
10. LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles - Don’t sleep on this big playback from Pitt. One would think he’ll spell Brian Westbrook immediately.

Honorable Mention: Donald Brown, RB, Indianapolis Colts; Josh Freeman, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Shonn Greene, RB, New York Jets; Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Oakland Raiders; Aaron Curry, LB, Seattle Seahawks

As for when you can expect rookie cards of the NFL’s Class of 2009, you won’t have to wait long. Here’s a look at new football card releases set to go on sale in May, with the caveat that all release dates can and often do change:

• May 7 - UD Draft Edition Football
• May 8 - Bowman Draft Picks Football
• May 14 - Playoff Prestige Football
• May 29 - UD Heroes Football

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