Derrick Henry Rookie Cards: Best Sets and Parallels to Buy

In an NFL that features speed and heavy passing attacks, Derrick Henry brings a classic ground game while punishing opposing defenders. One of football’s most lethal runners, Henry has become a fan favorite since entering the league back in 2016.

Henry has dozens of rookie cards from the 2016 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 card stock. A good fit for new collectors or those on a limited budget.

Donruss #365: One of Panini’s flagship sets, Donruss is both a great place to start and a must-have for any Henry collection.

Donruss’ simple, classic design is a fan favorite while the Rated Rookies are key cards for any player. Signature Marks and The Elite Series Autos checklists are good starting points for short-printed autographs.

Prestige #218: One of the cheaper products out there, Prestige features great action photos without borders. Henry’s base rookie is a good entry for collectors new to the hobby while sets like Rookie Signatures are a good option for value autographs. It’s important to note that Prestige does feature rookies in their college uniforms.

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 #165: As usual, Optic presents a chrome upgrade to Donruss with another chance to snag Henry’s key Rated Rookie. Optic is also a great place to find plenty of colored parallels — Orange, Blue and Red are all short-printed while the Optic Holo is one of the hobby’s signature parallels.

Prizm #299: Another signature brand from Panini, Prizm is a great place for a rainbow of parallels. All 2016 rookies come in Silver Prizms, though colored parallels like Flash, Purple Scope, Red Crystals and Gold Vinyl are all hobby favorites.

Select #22: The set took a year off in 2015, but returned in 2016 with its signature lineup of Concourse Level, Premier Level and Field Level rookie cards. Henry has plenty of autographs to grab while parallels like Tie-Dye numbered to 25 and Gold numbered to just 10 also serve as popular chases.

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 #94: A retail-only set in 2016, Crown Royale has a small 100-card base checklist, with just 20 rookies. You’ll find Henry’s rookie in parallels like Bronze, Pink and Holo Gold as well as the Rookie Autographs set.

Phoenix #214: You won’t find a base Henry rookie here, but his lineup of autos are worth watching for. Henry’s RPS Rookie Auto Jersey numbered to just 49 is a good place to start while the Rookie Rising insert set is a more affordable option.

Spectra #157: One of Panini’s more premium sets, Spectra features high-end patches and autographs with unique designs. Henry’s base rookie will have a shorter print run than most base cards, but Spectra is where collectors often go to for low-numbered RPAs and parallels like Neon Orange numbered to just 3.

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 are plenty of options in other categories that could be perfect for your collection.

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