5 Best Deshaun Watson Rookie Cards To Buy Now

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Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is the heart and soul of the franchise. Watson was born on September 14, 1995, in Gainesville, GA.

The Texans made him the 12th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Watson is an athletic signal-caller with a rifle of an arm and a will to win every game… he is a true competitor and has a solid football mindset.

It didn’t.

Deshaun Watson Rookie Season Stats: 3-3 record | 1699 passing yards | 19 TD passes | 83.6 Total QB Rating

In his second year, he put up an 11-3 record with 26 TD passes and 4165 yards passing… his only concern in 2018 was his Total QB Rating fell to 60.7.

Bear in mind he broke the franchise rookie record with five touchdown passes against the Chiefs in 2017. He also had 19 touchdown passes in his rookie year – another franchise record. Watson is versatile.

He can scramble for extra yardage when the pocket collapses, and there’s no open receiver. He is the Texans quarterback with the most rushing touchdowns (12). He should pad that stat significantly as the years go by.

Watson does need to work on his interceptions, as they have increased every year he has been in the league.

But we still firmly believe Deshaun has what it takes to be a champion in the NFL. With Watson under center, Houston should contend for the AFC South title and make noise in the postseason for years to come.

For example, Watson singly handily defeated the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2019 NFL playoffs as he avoided a sure sack and turned it into a completion and a first and goal vs. what should have been a 3rd and 18 with the sack (watch this sick play below). That pass seemed to knock the wind out of the Bills, and they never recovered.

Enough talk. Let’s check out what you came here for. Deshaun Watson’s best rookie cards for investment purposes.

 

2017 Deshaun Watson Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket #302 (Shop eBay)

The 2017 Deshaun Watson Panini Contenders football card is a high-end card that will set you back a few thousand dollars but is an excellent investment (long and short term). The Cracked Ice version is our favorite parallel, but the Super Bowl Ticket is nice.

Parallels: Red Zone, Cracked Ice (/25), Preview (/23), Playoff Ticket (/15), Championship Ticket (/10), Printing Plates Black (1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (1/1), Super Bowl Ticket (1/1)

 

2017 Panini National Treasures Deshaun Watson Rookie Card Auto Patch #169 /99 (Shop eBay)

This would be if we had to own one Watson rookie card. It is one of the most expensive (if not the most expensive) of all the Deshaun rookie cards, but we also love that it comes with a game-used patch.

Numbered #169, the card shows Deshaun dropping back scanning the field for an open wideout.

 

2017 Deshaun Watson Donruss Optic Rated Rookie Card #195 (Shop eBay)

Here is a sound card for the mid-level collector. The 2017 Deshaun Watson Donruss Optic rookie card won’t cost you an arm and a leg but won’t come cheap either.

2017 Donruss Optic Football Base / Inserts Parallels: Holo, Aqua (#/299), Orange (#/199), Blue (#/149), Red (#/99), Purple (#/50), Black (#/25), Gold (#/10), Green (#/5), and Gold Vinyl (1/1)

 

2017 Deshaun Watson Panini Impeccable Rookie Card #108 (Shop eBay)

This Deshaun Watson rookie card has many intangibles: a popular brand, a game-used patch, and an autograph.

The back of the card reads, “In the past five seasons, Houston has made the playoffs three times. As the Texans creep closer to a Super Bowl title, they found a winner in Watson to help get them there.

At Clemson, he led the Tigers to two national championship appearances, including a 35-31 victory in the title game on Jan. 9, 2017″… it’s an imposing addition to your sports card collection.

 

2017 Panini Flawless Deshaun Watson RC Autograph #133 /20 (Shop eBay)

This card is another solid option under the Panini brand.

2017 Panini Flawless Deshaun Watson RC Autograph #133 /20 Parallels: Sapphire (/15), Diamond (/10), Emerald (/5), Chocolate Diamond (/4), Canary Yellow Diamond (/3), Platinum (1/1)

 

2017 Deshaun Watson Panini Contenders RC #342 (Shop eBay)

If you’re keen on serious eye candy, Watson’s Panini Contenders rookie cards are worth serious consideration.

You can’t miss the refractors highlighting Watson’s rookie card on the left panel and his photograph on the right. His autograph is at the bottom of the card.

Deshaun Watson 2017 Panini Contenders come in red, turquoise, silver, and orange refractors. The red refractor version commands the highest price on the market by a mile.

 

Checklist

  • 2017 Deshaun Watson Panini Contenders RC #342
  • 2017 Panini National Treasures Deshaun Watson RC Auto Patch #169 /99
  • 2017 Prestige Deshaun Watson RC #213
  • 2017 Classics Deshaun Watson #228
  • 2017 Panini Flawless Rookie Patch Autograph Card #2
  • 2017 Deshaun Watson Contenders Cracked Ice Rookie Ticket #302
  • 2017 Score Rookie Card #361
  • 2017 Panini Deshaun Watson RC #102
  • 2017 Select Deshaun Watson RC #16
  • 2017 Panini Spectra Deshaun Watson RC Auto Patch #201 /99
  • 2017 Panini Phoenix Rookie Card #101
  • 2017 Donruss Deshaun Watson RC #345
  • 2017 Rookies and Stars Rookie Card #219
  • 2017 Panini Impeccable Deshaun Watson RC Auto Helmet-Patch #108 /75
  • 2017 Donruss Optic Deshaun Watson RC #195
  • 2017 Panini Gold Standard Deshaun Watson RC Auto Jersey #208 /49
  • 2017 Panini Majestic Deshaun Watson RC Auto Patch #102 /25
  • 2017 Panini Prizm Deshaun Watson RC #279
  • 2017 Crown Royale Rookie Card #83
  • 2017 Immaculate Collegiate Deshaun Watson RC Auto Patch #115 /99
  • 2017 Elite Deshaun Watson RC #151 /499
  • 2017 Panini Plates and Patches Deshaun Watson RC Auto Patch #212 /50
  • 2017 Panini Contenders Draft Picks Deshaun Watson RC Autograph #101

 

Deshaun Watson Rookie Card Value

The most valuable Watson rookie card is his 2017 National Treasures RC RPA #169. This card is a beast and will cost more than a brand-new Lexus (most models).

The exact value of any of his rookie cards is difficult to predict.

Please email us pictures (both front and back) to value@goldcardauctions.com, and we will attempt to provide an estimate based on recent Deshaun Watson rookie card sales.

If you are debating with yourself in regards to which Watson card you want to purchase and need advice, please email us at advice@goldcardauctions.com.

 

Best Non-Rookie Cards

Here are some of the better Deshaun Watson cards that are not considered RCs’.

  • 2019 Deshaun Watson Panini Absolute Kaboom Houston Texans #K-DW
  • 2019 Deshaun Watson Panini Prizm Emergent #E-DW
  • 2019 Panini Gold Standard Golden Pairs WATSON HOPKINS #GP-15

 

Buyers Guide & Investment Report

Investment Rating: Pass (2.6 out of 5)

Ownership Disclosure: None

Best Deshaun Watson Rookie Card: 2017 Panini National Treasures RPA Rookie Card #169 /99 (high-end investors) or 2017 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie Card #195 (moderate investors)

Deshaun Watson was the face of the Houston Texans franchise.

Granted, Watson is not on the level of a Russell Wilson rookie card or Lamar Jackson RCs’ just yet, but if he shows consistency, he should get there.

UPDATE April 2021: Mr. Watson has been accused of sexual misconduct by several women in the Houston area.

Due to this, we are changing our buy rating to pass (for now) and will pay close attention to what happens to Deshaun Watson both on and off the field.

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