As one of the crucial anticipated soccer units within the pastime, collectors could not wait to get their palms on packs of 2023 Donruss soccer when it debuted in December 2023.
Together with the enduring “Rated Rookie” subset and “Downtown!” inserts, the rookie class on this set boasted some large names.
The hype for a few of these guys was unbelievable…
Bijan Robinson, Bryce Younger, C.J. Stroud and a number of other others carried big expectations into their NFL debuts.
Time will inform if any of them find yourself in Canton.
However other than chasing big-name rookies, collectors may discover eye-popping inserts with unbelievable designs and autographed playing cards to maintain the suspense alive.
General, the 2023 Donruss set delivered precisely what soccer collectors may count on.
And on this information, we’ll check out the 15 most beneficial.
Let’s leap proper in!
2023 Donruss #149 Patrick Mahomes
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $35
The 2023 Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have been an enigma.
They have been additionally Tremendous Bowl champs.
Patrick Mahomes and firm banked on the NFL’s #1 protection to succeed in 11 wins and an eighth consecutive AFC West title.
By no means thoughts the struggles of a league-average offense and its skinny receiving corps.
Pay no consideration to Mahomes’ career-worst interception complete (14), quarterback score (92.6), QBR (63.1), and success price (48.2%).
Heck, do not even take a look at the truth that the Chiefs have been underdogs of their remaining three postseason video games, a primary for his or her dynastic run.
What mattered was January.
Kansas Metropolis beatdown a shorthanded Miami squad earlier than successful back-to-back-to-back one-score contests over Buffalo, Baltimore, and San Francisco in Tremendous Bowl LVIII.
Mahomes returned to his Corridor-of-Fame methods throughout that four-game stretch, finishing almost 70% of his passes with six touchdowns (in opposition to no interceptions).
He capped it with a legend-making walk-off OT landing throw and a 3rd Tremendous Bowl MVP award of the last decade.
2023 Donruss #331 Jahmyr Gibbs Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $35
The Detroit Lions entrance workplace took some main warmth in 2023 after reaching for Alabama operating again Jahmyr Gibbs with the twelfth general decide.
2023 was the peak of NFL organizations’ “operating backs are replaceable” mentality.
Halfbacks had issue discovering long-term offers or escaping franchise tags after monster seasons.
The prevailing logic was to hunt worth on operating backs in later rounds, all issues seemingly being equal.
There have been added issues about Gibbs’ 5-foot-9, 199-pound body and lack of contact energy within the gap.
Many scouts questioned if he had the structure or sport to be a three-down again.
Whereas he did not materialize as a three-down workhorse in ’23, Gibbs did not have to.
He was the right lightning to David Montgomery’s thunder, utilizing his ample edge velocity and big-play skill so as to add much more efficiency to the NFL’s #3 offense.
He mixed for 1,261 yards from scrimmage in his debut, touchdown a Professional Bowl nod with 945 dashing yards, 316 receiving yards, and 11 dashing/receiving touchdowns.
2023 Donruss #57 Joe Burrow
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $30
The Cincinnati Bengals have among the finest younger quarterbacks within the sport, though his physique has tried to revolt in opposition to him most of the time.
When wholesome, Joe Burrow is a top-five quarterback and a perennial MVP candidate with bettering arm power and elite area consciousness.
When Burrow will get settled in, the Cincinnati offense turns into a high-flying, aerial circus.
Nonetheless, accidents have made it onerous for him to take action.
Burrow tore his ACL throughout his 2020 rookie season, dislocated his pinky in 2021, and suffered an MCL sprain on the finish of Tremendous Bowl LVI.
In 2023, Burrow was held out early within the 12 months with a proper calf pressure.
After rehabbing and getting on a roll, he was as soon as once more reduce off, this time with a season ending wrist ligament tear.
“Every time the accidents begin to stack up, your soccer mortality form of comes into the again of your thoughts,” Burrow mentioned.
The 27-year-old QB performed simply 10 video games in ’23 and did not seem after Week 10 for the nine-win Bengals.
2023 Donruss #339 C.J. Stroud Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $30
It was once that rookie quarterbacks sat with a clipboard of their palms in 12 months one, perhaps 12 months two.
The prevailing thought was that immersion and commentary have been essential to future success.
Now, it is a complete completely different league.
There is no higher instance of that than C.J. Stroud’s rookie season.
Chosen second general within the 2023 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, Stroud wasted no time pulling the Houston Texans out of a three-year tailspin.
Simply the fourth qualifying rookie quarterback in NFL historical past to put up a quarterback score of 100 or extra (100.8), Stroud began his profession with a document 192 passing makes an attempt with out an interception.
The 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie-of-the-Yr amassed the third-most passing yards by a first-year participant (4,108) and a league-best 1.0% interception proportion on 499 throws.
Extra importantly, the 22-year-old lifted a Houston franchise that gained 11 complete video games from 2020 to 2022 to a 10-7 document, a division title, and a Wild Card Spherical demolition of the Cleveland Browns.
2023 Donruss #18 Lamar Jackson
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $25
It does not matter what you consider Lamar Jackson. His numbers and place within the historical past books communicate for themselves.
Jackson navigated his Baltimore Ravens via one of many league’s hardest schedules in 2023, main the NFL with 26 touchdowns and 10 wins in opposition to groups with a .500 document or higher.
Jackson shined the brightest when the Ravens have been pressed most through the common season.
Whereas he did not have a statistical output corresponding to that of his 2019 MVP season, Jackson made up for it with clutch efficiency after clutch efficiency.
This included big-time Ws over the Miami Dolphins and eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers down the stretch.
Baltimore gained six of their final seven and ten of their remaining twelve, vaulting Jackson away from a congested awards area to his second MVP award.
Playoff failures or not, the previous Louisville standout added to his Corridor-of-Fame case by changing into the second-youngest two-time MVP (27 years previous) in NFL historical past, trailing solely the nice Jim Brown, who gained two earlier than age 23.
2023 Donruss #32 Josh Allen
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $25
Although he did not earn Professional Bowl honors to show it, Josh Allen’s 2023 NFL season was arguably as sensible as another.
Allen accomplished 385 of 579 passes for 4,306 yards and 29 touchdowns whereas racking up one other 524 yards on the bottom with an eye-popping, career-high 15 dashing touchdowns.
In his sixth season in Buffalo, Allen solidified his place because the face of the franchise, incomes down-ballot votes for each MVP and Offensive Participant of the Yr.
Even higher information for Payments followers: at 11-6, Allen and crew completed atop the AFC East for the fourth season in a row.
Sadly, the playoff heartbreak continued.
Buffalo’s postseason run ended within the Divisional Spherical for the third consecutive time due to a troublesome 24-27 loss at residence to Kansas Metropolis.
That additionally made it the third time within the final 4 years that Kansas Metropolis reduce their playoff hopes brief.
Little did Payments followers realize it then, however Kansas Metropolis would break their hearts once more in 2024.
As a perennial MVP candidate and a cornerstone of the Payments franchise, Josh Allen is working in now-or-never mode from right here on out.
2023 Donruss #244 Jalen Hurts
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $25
In hindsight, Jalen Hurts’ crash touchdown to finish the 2023 NFL season was solely the prelude to raised issues.
On the time, although, Philadelphia’s sudden nosedive from the league’s greatest group to a playoff also-ran was a code-red catastrophe.
The Eagles opened the 12 months with a 10-1 document, punctuating the beginning with an exhilarating extra time win over the Buffalo Payments.
Little did anybody know that was the final actual excessive level of the season.
Philadelphia misplaced 5 of its final six to lose management of the NFC East.
Whereas a immediately porous protection was the principle motive the Eagles tumbled, Hurts additionally took a few of the blame from a ticked-off fanbase.
Hurts threw 5 interceptions in opposition to 5 touchdowns within the group’s remaining six video games and was little greater than a glorified sport supervisor in a brutal 32-9 playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs.
2024 would proper the wrongs, however that did not make the tumult of 2023 any much less nauseating.
2023 Donruss #266 Brock Purdy
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $25
Brock Purdy got here from nowhere in 2022, bypassing former third-overall decide Trey Lance on the depth chart to grab San Francisco’s beginning QB job.
The previous “Mr. Irrelevant” went 7-1 because the substitute for veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, stopped solely by a torn UCL through the 2022 NFC title sport.
Many questioned if Purdy was a one-hit-wonder destined to return to backup standing.
He silenced these doubters in 2023 with a convincing 12 months, putting fourth for NFL MVP, sixth for Offensive Participant of the Yr, and incomes his first Professional Bowl nod.
The 24-year-old went 12-4 as a starter through the common season, finishing 69.4% of his passes for 4,280 yards with 31 touchdowns in opposition to 11 interceptions.
He led all QBs in landing proportion (7.0%), yards per try (9.6), QB score (113.0), and QBR (72.8).
Purdy carried it throughout to January.
He accomplished 61.1% of his passes for 774 yards in three playoff contests, ushering San Francisco to an OT lead in Tremendous Bowl LVIII earlier than Patrick Mahomes’ surgical season-ending TD toss to Mecole Hardman.
2023 Donruss #311 Bryce Younger Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $25
Because the primary decide of the 2023 NFL Draft, expectations have been sky-high for Bryce Younger throughout his rookie marketing campaign for the Carolina Panthers.
However his rookie season did not stay as much as the hype.
Younger’s 2,877 passing yards and 11 touchdowns mixed with 253 dashing yards and 0 touchdowns left one thing to be desired.
He additionally threw ten picks and fumbled eleven occasions.
His sophomore 2024 marketing campaign did not begin significantly better.
After two weeks of not throwing any touchdowns, the Panthers benched him in favor of Andy Dalton from Week 3 via 7.
With the season going nowhere, the Panthers once more put Younger in because the starter in Week 8, the place he remained the remainder of the 12 months.
It wasn’t speedy, however Younger did start to indicate indicators of higher-level play, ending strongly with seven passing touchdowns and three extra on the bottom over the last three weeks.
That momentum was sufficient to convey this card again from the lifeless.
In PSA 10 situation, this card routinely bought for over $70 in early 2024.
However by November 2024, you could possibly discover it for lower than $5.
We’ll see the place it goes from right here.
2023 Donruss #357 Puka Nacua Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $25
176 guys have been picked forward of Puka Nacua within the 2023 NFL Draft. Apart from C.J. Stroud, none of them shook the NFL like he did.
A digital unknown out of BYU, Nacua was pegged by scouts as a depth receiver and potential special-teams standout.
His lack of straight-line velocity and inflexible route operating made him an afterthought on many groups’ draft boards.
Even the Rams did not know fairly what that they had on their palms.
But, after a robust efficiency in a preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Sean McVay elevated Nacua to a beginning position.
The remaining performed out like a dream.
Nacua began all 17 video games for the playoff-bound Rams, setting rookie information for receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486).
He posted 5 video games of 100 receiving yards or extra and snagged six landing catches for Los Angeles’ top-ten passing offense.
Nacua’s unlikely breakthrough earned him a Professional Bowl spot, a second-team All-Professional designation, and the runner-up spot behind C.J. Stroud for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Yr.
2023 Donruss #305 Bijan Robinson Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $20
Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith’s perceived mishandling of rookie operating again Bijan Robinson wasn’t why he misplaced his job, but it surely did not assist.
Chosen eighth general within the 2023 NFL Draft, Robinson plugged a gap for a Falcons group determined to increase and increase its offense.
His influence was speedy. Robinson rushed for almost 1,000 yards (976) on 214 carries and completed fourth on the group in receiving yards (487).
The 21-year-old’s 1,463 yards from scrimmage have been over 50% greater than another skill-position participant on the roster.
Nonetheless, many Falcons pundits and followers felt like Smith was holding Robinson again with repetitive game-planning and questionable workload choices.
Robinson primarily break up carries with Tyler Allgeier, though Allgeier rushed for almost a full yard much less per carry (4.6 to three.7).
The general outcomes have been irritating.
Robinson shined, however the remainder of the offense regarded listless with quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinecke beneath heart.
Atlanta completed 7-10 for a 3rd consecutive 12 months beneath Smith, and the embattled coach was dismissed shortly after the season.
2023 Donruss #307 Zay Flowers Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $20
Chosen twenty second general by the Baltimore Ravens within the 2023 NFL Draft, Boston School wideout Zay Flowers proved a right away match with soon-to-be NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
With high-octane velocity in area and a fierce aggressive streak, Flowers grew to become Jackson’s favourite goal.
The 23-year-old led all Ravens pass-catchers in receptions (77) and receiving yards (858).
His 108 targets have been 44 greater than the next-most prolific Ravers receiver (Odell Beckham Jr.).
Flowers gave Jackson a wanted big-play risk that moved the chains constantly and diverted consideration away from the quarterback’s explosive dashing skill.
The Jackson/Flowers combo propelled Baltimore to sixth in complete offense and the franchise’s first convention title sport since successful all of it in 2012.
What bought Flowers to the dance, although, ended up sending the Ravens residence within the AFC title sport.
He picked up a mind-bending 15-yard taunting flag to uninteresting the influence of a 54-yard catch earlier than fumbling away Baltimore’s probabilities close to the endzone a pair performs later.
Baltimore misplaced to Kansas Metropolis, 17-10, and Flowers shouldered a lot of the blame.
2023 Donruss #332 Sam LaPorta Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $20
Throughout his senior season on the College of Iowa, Sam LaPorta emerged as one of many prime tight ends within the nation.
And after the Buffalo Payments chosen Dalton Kincaid with the twenty fifth decide of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions made LaPorta the second tight finish off the board with the thirty fourth decide.
Each had spectacular rookie debuts.
However LaPorta’s was higher.
The rookie sensation recorded 86 receptions for 889 yards, averaging a formidable 10.3 yards per catch whereas discovering the top zone ten occasions.
LaPorta’s 86 receptions broke the NFL document for many receptions by a rookie tight finish that Philadelphia’s Keith Jackson set in 1988 when he hauled in 81 catches.
Extremely, LaPorta’s document solely stood for a 12 months.
Brock Bowers destroyed the mark when he caught 112 passes in 2024.
Nonetheless, LaPorta’s efficiency was spectacular sufficient for a primary journey to the Professional Bowl, Second-Workforce All-Professional honors, and a third-place end within the Offensive Rookie of the Yr vote.
2023 Donruss #334 Jayden Reed Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $20
After two years of backup work behind future Corridor-of-Famer Aaron Rodgers, Inexperienced Bay quarterback Jordan Love lastly bought his shot.
He made it depend, main the new-look Packers to a fourth playoff look in 5 years.
Love’s reference to rookie receiver Jaydren Reed had a lot to do with it.
Chosen within the second spherical out of Michigan State within the 2023 Draft, Reed topped a younger and hungry Packers receiving corps in yards (793) and tied Romeo Doubs for the group lead in receiving touchdowns (8).
Reed additionally rushed 11 occasions on gadget performs and different designed formations, amassing 119 yards and two scores.
His 912 yards from scrimmage and ten receiving/dashing touchdowns paced the squad.
The Love/Reed connection got here up big late within the 12 months, main Inexperienced Bay on a three-game season-closing win streak to seal a wild-card berth.
The numbers did not add up within the playoffs, but it surely remained an announcement of intent for a retooled Packers offense on the rise.
2023 Donruss #368 Jordan Addison Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 10 Worth: $20
Puka Nacua’s rookie season was the discuss of the soccer world, and rightfully so.
Nonetheless, he wasn’t the one first-year large receiver to make a historic influence in 2023.
Picked twenty third within the 2023 Draft, Minnesota Vikings rookie Jordan Addison missed almost the entire group’s spring exercises attributable to damage.
He was behind the eight ball to begin, and you would be forgiven to assume that it will present in his manufacturing through the 2023 marketing campaign.
As an alternative, Addison balled out and regarded nicely at residence subsequent to famous person teammate Justin Jefferson.
Whether or not it was Kirk Cousins or any of the opposite three quarterbacks who began for the Vikes, Addison made probably the most of their skills and produced at a stage few rookies have.
Addison is considered one of simply 4 gamers within the trendy NFL to document not less than 70 receptions (70), 900 receiving yards (911), and ten receiving touchdowns (10) in a debut season.
2023 Donruss Soccer Playing cards In Evaluate
If Bryce Younger retains the momentum going, collector’s would possibly flip their consideration again to this set in bigger numbers.
However, for now, the rookie playing cards for Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Puka Nacua, C.J. Stroud, and a few of the different younger superstars ought to maintain demand regular.
A lot of these guys are off to excellent careers, and that is at all times an excellent signal for any product on this pastime.
And as I discussed within the opener, inserts just like the ever-popular “Downtown!” in addition to autograph and relic playing cards are greater than sufficient to attract collector consideration.
Between all of the parallels, inserts, autographs, and many others. there’s simply a lot happening with this set that it is virtually overwhelming.
I actually get pleasure from this set and assume it ought to have some endurance for years to return.
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