Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards: Best Sets and Parallels to Buy

Already an MVP and Super Bowl champion, few players put things together as quickly as Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Mahomes’ electric play and postseason success has turned him into one of the NFL’s top stars and one of the hobby’s most popular and expensive targets.

Mahomes has dozens of rookie cards from the 2017 season, so use the Sports Card Investor guide to see which ones we think you should focus on. Cards are broken down into tiers, ranging from the most affordable and more popular options to the most unique, expensive and rare.

VALUE ROOKIES:

The Value Tier Includes cards with high print runs or lower-quality cardstock. A good fit for new collectors or those on a limited budget.

Contenders #303: As usual, Contenders is built around its lineup of Rookie Ticket Autographs, which are some of the top chases in the hobby. Rookie Ticket Swatches are good value options for collectors into memorabilia, though the Rookie Ticket Auto variations — they come in short-print and super short-print runs — are the gems of the set. Shop now >

Donruss #327: The 2017 Donruss design wasn’t Panini’s most popular, but it mostly gets the job done. Mahomes’ Rated Rookie is always a good starting place for any collector, while you can also find him in the Rookie Gridiron Kings Autographs or Rookie Phenom Jersey Autographs sets for something on the higher-end of Donruss. Shop now >

Panini #104: A retail-only product in 2017, Panini Football is a good place to start for new collectors. Look for Mahomes autographs in the First Impressions or Heir to the Throne checklists. Shop now >

POPULAR ROOKIES:

This tier includes cards from the most popular sets across both retail and hobby formats. Typically easy to buy or sell when needed.

Optic #177: The typical chrome upgrade to Donruss, Mahomes’ Optic has become the go-to card for many collectors. The Optic Holo parallel is one of the best in the hobby, and is joined by other color-based parallels as well as the 1/1 Gold Vinyl. Shop now >

Prizm #269: Known for its lineup of parallels, Mahomes also lands in sets like the Patented Penmanship Prizm numbered to just 10 and the Rookie Patch Autographs. Shop now >

Select #103: Featuring a range of colors, die-cuts and redemptions, Select has it all. Mahomes has plenty of autos and memorabilia to pair with his Premier Level and Field Level Base cards. Shop now >

MORE UNIQUE ROOKIES:

This tier Includes cards with lower print runs, unique designs, or cards from hobby-only products. Usually higher-quality cards than the Value or Popular Tiers, though not necessarily more popular or easier to buy or sell.

Crown Royale #84: While not as popular in football as it is in basketball, Crown Royale brings interesting designs and a strong lineup of autographs. Mahomes has appearances in the Rookie Autographs and Rookie Silhouette Jumbo Jerseys sets. Shop now >

Phoenix #104: Always one of Panini’s more unique designs, Phoenix brings geometric backgrounds and an impressive lineup of color-centric parallels. Look for Mahomes in the high-quality Hot Rookie Materials Signatures checklist, which features a wide range of memorabilia including gloves and footballs. Shop now >

Preferred #78: With Rookie Silhouettes numbered to just 99 serving as the most basic cards, Preferred is close to jumping into the tier above this one. This is a set where you’ll find some of Panini’s best autographs and patches, so look for Mahomes in sets like Preferred Pairings and Great X-Pectations. Shop now >

RAREST AND MOST EXCLUSIVE:

We won’t spend much time here because this category is likely out of reach for most collectors due to price, but they are still fun to look at.

Sets like Flawless, Immaculate, and National Treasures typically feature visually stunning designs and low-numbered cards.

This is also where you’ll find the most impressive patches paired with high-quality on-card autographs. Don’t worry if this tier is too pricey as there’s plenty of options in other categories that could be perfect for your collection.

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