Quarterbacks highlight Top 5 rookie leaders in NFL jersey sales
The offseason dust has settled and the NFL season is rapidly approaching. Some high-profile rookies were added to rosters this summer. The NFL’s top five leaders in jersey sales among rookies are all among the Top-15 picks from April’s NFL Draft.
Here are the five NFL rookie leaders in jersey sales
5. Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers: Despite minimal experience in college, San Francisco believed in Lance enough to trade up and select him No. 3 overall. Lance completed 65.4% of his passes with 2,947 yards and 30 touchdowns through 19 collegiate games at North Dakota State. With veteran Jimmy Garoppolo likely opening the season as the 49ers’ starter, Lance will have the opportunity to sit back learn early in his career.
4. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers: James Connor hit free agency in the offseason and one of the biggest needs on Pittsburgh’s roster was a new running back. When Najee Harris fell to them at the 24th overall pick, it was a no brainer. The former Alabama running back had an impressive collegiate career. Harris ran for a school-record 3,843 yards and 46 touchdowns while adding 781 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air. He finished fifth in Heisman voting in 2020 and established himself as the top running back in the 2021 draft. With the Steelers, Harris is in line for a major role from game one.
3. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys: Parsons was highly productive in his career at Penn State. The linebacker totaled 82 tackles, 1.5 sacks and forced two fumbles as a freshman in 2018. As a sophomore, Parsons erupted for 109 tackles, five sacks, 14 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. Despite opting out of the 2020 season, Parsons was still one of the top defenders in the draft and the Cowboys were a perfect fit after their defense struggled last year. Parsons should make an instant impact in Dallas.
2. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: The consensus top overall pick for some time, Lawrence was just that when the Jaguars selected him first overall in April’s NFL Draft. Lawrence had a storied career at Clemson where he threw for 10,098 yards and 90 touchdowns over three seasons. He finished as the runner-up for the Heisman in 2020 and led Clemson to a national championship in 2018. If he can continue that success in the NFL, the Jaguars’ face of their franchise could find himself among the NFL’s leaders in jersey sales for years to come.
And No. 1 is …
1. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears: Fields started out his collegiate career at Georgia before transferring to Ohio State in 2019. As a Buckeye, Fields proved to be one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He threw for 5,373 yards and 63 touchdowns in his two seasons at Ohio State, adding more than 800 yards and 15 touchdowns rushing. Fields was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in each of his two years with the Buckeyes. The Bears were a team that entered the offseason looking for their quarterback of the future. When Fields fell to the 11th overall pick, Chicago traded up to fill their biggest hole. While he will likely open his career sitting behind Andy Dalton, Fields could be a dynamic quarterback for some time with the Bears.
Image courtesy of: Jim McIsaac via Getty Images.