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Brand new rookie cards tend to be among the hottest cards on the market at any given time. This is especially true in football where a rookie can step right into the league his first week and become an impact player or even a star. Every year, the NFL Draft provides a handful of players that take the collecting market by storm when the football cards sets that contain their rookies are released. This year is no exception as there are a number of players that collectors will watch closely and invest heavily in. Here are some of the rookies that will be sure to grab the attention of collectors this season.
Sam Bradford was the first overall selection by the St. Louis Rams in the Draft this year. A quarterback out of Oklahoma, Bradford is a bit  of a risk considering the injuries that he suffered his last collegiate season. Quarterbacks picked first overall are no sure thing, for every Peyton Manning or Troy Aikman, there is a Tim Couch or JaMarcus Russell. Even if a first overall QB sticks as a starter in the league, there is no guarantee that he will be a superstar (think Jeff George of Drew Bledsoe) and a player needs to be a superstar for their collectibles to have any lasting worth. Nevertheless, collectors will be sure to shell out big bucks for Bradford rookie cards upon their release....it's inevitable. Since Bradford has the chance to earn the starting job this year, collectibles of the rookie will probably have a very solid short term value at the least.
Drafted second overall by the Detroit Lions, many feel Ndamukong Suh  is one of the most potentially dominating defensive presences to come out of the Draft in a long time. Though it is not yet clear if he will play defensive tackle or end in the NFL, collectors are hoping that the Lions will put him on the end where he will have more potential to rack up sacks. It's difficult for a defensive player to make a real longterm impact on card collecting. Even if Suh turns into a Hall of Famer, his ceiling for collecting popularity is stuck at the level of such players as Ronnie Lott, Lawrence Taylor and Ray Lewis. Though his rookie cards are sure to be hot with collectors upon their release, ultimately collectors might be a bit disappointed despite what Suh does on the field.
When the Buffalo Bills selected C.J. Spiller with the ninth overall  pick in this years draft, they grabbed one of the most electrifying players to come out of the college ranks in years. Since running back is such a high profile position, Spiller has the ability to make a big impact on the football card collecting community. Many think that the lightning fast Spiller can become the next Reggie Bush or even Marshall Faulk, If Spiller can fulfill his full potential, collectors might have a nice long term investment on their hands. Most predict that Spiller will be all over highlight shows for years to come, which will definitely not hurt his memorabilia's popularity.
Drafted twelfth overall by the San Diego Chargers out of Fresno St., Ryan Mathews is another running back that has the potential to make a long term impact on football card collecting. As it looks as though he might take over as the Chargers starting running back from week one, his cards may be even more popular than those of Spiller in the short term. As decade after decade the top running back rookie cards are among the top football cards released, collectors should be careful not to underestimate the long-term value of Mathews' memorabilia.
The Dallas Cowboys traded up to select wide receiver Dez Bryant out of Oklahoma State. Projected to go even higher in the Draft, Bryant  comes into the league with almost as much hype as any other rookie. As he will suit up for the popular Dallas Cowboys, collectibles of this first year player will be among the hottest targets on the market before this season. Receivers can make a big long term impact on the football card community, but it is important to remember that the difference in worth between the rookie cards of a player like Jerry Rice and a player like Michael Irvin are monstrous. Bryant will have to be a superstar for years for his collectibles to prove to be a great investment.
The most closely followed rookie in football right now, Tim Tebow was drafted by the Denver Broncos in this year's Draft. Tebow memorabilia immediately became the hottest seller on the market and his rookie cards are no exception. Though any investment in  Tebow cards will be sure to have no short term gain, collectors have no idea what Tebow's long term value is. Pundits really have no idea what position Tebow will end up playing if he sticks in the league. The hype surrounding this athlete is huge and as far as prospecting collectors are concerned, the risk may match the reward. Collectors would be foolish to underestimate the popularity of Tebow and in card collecting - popularity sells. Tebow is sure to be the most polarizing player in football card collecting for at least the next few months.
Another lightning fast running back selected in this year's NFL  Draft, Jahvid Best was picked by the Detroit Lions near the end of the first round. As he is the best bet at this time among rookie runners to be the feature back on his team, his collectibles have as much short term value as any player selected ahead of him. His electrifying style has the potential to be huge with fans and Best should be considered the top under the radar bet with football card collectors. There are more than a few collectors that feel that the rookie cards of Best will someday have more value than any other 2010 football rookie.
Later in the Draft, a handful of potential stars were picked including QBs Jimmy Clausen by the Carolina Panthers and Colt McCoy by the Cleveland Browns. There are also hundreds of rookies vying to make an impact that collectors will completely ignore as they did with players such as Tony Romo and Tom Brady. The rookie football card projecting business is among the toughest bets in card collecting. If you hit big you're golden, but most collectors end up getting burned. Remember, there are only 1-2 players in each draft class that have any long term collecting value and there are only a handful of players that come into the league every decade that have serious long term memorabilia value.
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