2021 first-round pick Travis Etienne Jr. continues to find his feet after making his return for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The running back missed his entire rookie campaign after suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury in the preseason that required surgery.  

It’s been a slower start than some would have expected, but we wouldn’t count him out just yet. A major factor is his chemistry with Trevor Lawrence. The Clemson duo won the 2018 National Championship and combined for almost 10 miles of offense in their three seasons spent together.

We’ve put together a list containing 10 of the best Travis Etienne Jr. rookie cards to collect, with lots of info including parallels and potential values.

The Best Travis Etienne Jr. Rookie Cards

He was the No. 25 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, so Travis Etienne Jr. rookie cards are found in the majority of sets released during his rookie season. 

10. 2021 Select Travis Etienne Jr. RC #254 (eBay)

As is customary for Panini Select, the 400-card 2021 collection is split into Concourse, Premier Level, Club Level, and Field Level subsets. In theory, the cards get rarer as you move through the four subsets. (This means that the Field Level edition is the rarest of the four options.)

Any of Select Etienne Jr. RCs could make the list in some capacity, with number 254 (seen above) being the Club Level version. You’ll also find Die-Cut Prizm parallels, which are tough to locate in pristine condition. 

• Prizm Parallels: Cosmic, Disco, Silver, Tiger, Zebra, Tri-Color #/149, Blue #/99, Dragon Scale #/89, Red #/49, Red Disco #/49, White #/35, Blue Disco #/25, Tie-Dye #/25, Gold #/10, Gold Disco #/10, Pink #/10, Neon Orange Pulsar #/7, Green #/5, Green Disco #/5, Green/Black Snakeskin #/2, Black 1/1, Black Disco 1/1
• Die-Cut Prizm Parallels: Black/Gold, Green/Yellow, Red/Blue, Red/Yellow, Silver, Zebra, Neon Green #/349, Orange #/249, Copper #/199, White #/99, Tie-Dye #/25, Gold #/10, Green #/5, Black 1/1

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9. 2021 Panini Contenders Travis Etienne Jr. RC #112 (eBay)

2021 Panini Contenders Football is where you’ll find the ever popular Rookie Ticket subset, offering a great entry-level Travis Etienne Jr. RC auto. 

It follows a traditional Rookie Ticket design, with lots of parallels accompanied by a stickered signature. As always, the Cracked Ice parallel is worth checking out, especially as there were only 21 copies produced. (You’ll see an example in the image above.)

• Parallels: Silver, Red #/75, Teal #/35, Blue #/25, Cracked Ice #/21, Purple Pulsar #/21, Orange #/20, Green Pulsar #/15, RWB #/13, Gold #/10, Nebula #/2, Gold Vinyl 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1

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8. 2021 Panini Mosaic Travis Etienne Jr. RC #314 (eBay)

A year on from the debut of the set, 2021 Panini Mosaic is another great place to look for top Travis Etienne Jr. RCs. As always, parallels change the border color/design, and rarer copes can sell for a large sum. 

It shares a similar design with many of the cards to make the list. The Mosaic backgrounds are often the difference maker here, with various versions numbered to 10 or less. 

• Mosaic Parallels: Base Mosaic, Camo Pink, Camo Red, Genesis, Honeycomb, Reactive Blue, Reactive Orange, Reactive Yellow, Red, Silver, Purple #/49, Orange Fluorescent #/25, White #/25, Gold Wave #/17, Blue Fluorescent #/15, Green Swirl #/11, Pink Swirl #/11, Gold #/10, Green Fluorescent #/10, Pink Fluorescent #/10, Red Wave #/9, Black 1/1
• Choice Mosaic Parallels: Fusion Red & Green, Peacock, Fusion Red & Yellow #/80, Black Gold #/8, Black 1/1, Nebula 1/1
• No Huddle: Silver, Blue #/75, Purple #/50, Pink #/20, Gold #/10, Black 1/1
• Direct Mosaic: White Sparkle

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7. 2021 Donruss Optic Travis Etienne Jr. RC #214 (eBay) 

2021 Donruss has been a popular set for anyone hoping to snag a valuable RC featuring the 2021 first-round pick. It features a great action shot of the running back with the pigskin clutched in his hands, with an auto filled in blue ink at the bottom. Once again, parallels match the border color. (There are also unsigned versions, offering a cheaper alternative.)

• Parallels: Bronze, Red Hyper, Holo #/125 or #/50, Blue #/99 or #/40, Red #/75 or #/35, Purple Stars #/50, Pink Velocity #/50 or #/30, Purple #/35 or #/25, Black Pandora #/25 or #/20, Ice #/15, Gold #/10, Green #/5, Gold Vinyl 1/1

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6. 2021 Panini Prizm Travis Etienne Jr. RC #344 (eBay)

You can’t go wrong with the flagship Panini Prizm collection if you’re looking for some of the best Etienne Jr. RC parallels on the market. The cards are tough to pull in flawless condition due to the finish, while it uses the same image as the auto seen above. 

As you may have guessed, there’s a rainbow of parallels to chase, corresponding with the color and design of the border. 

• Prizms: Pink, Purple Pulsar, Red Wave #/149, Green Scope #/75, Purple Power #/49, Red Shimmer #/35 or #/10, Camo #/25, Blue Shimmer #/25 or #/5, Gold #/10, Gold Vinyl #/5, Green Shimmer #/5 or 1/1, Black Finite 1/1, White Sparkle 1/1
• No Huddle: No Huddle, Gold #/10, Black 1/1

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5. 2021 Panini Flawless Travis Etienne Jr. RC #RDPA-TET (eBay)

As we begin to look at high-end sets and ultra-rare options, the 2021 Panini Flawless set comes to mind. This dual patch offering is especially clean, with an on-card auto and a crisp design. There aren’t many parallels, and they’re all rare. 

• Parallels: Silver #/20, Ruby #/15, Sapphire #/10, Bronze #/6, Emerald #/5, Platinum 1/1

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4. 2021 Panini Absolute KABOOM! Travis Etienne Jr. RC #49 (eBay)

Whether it’s football, soccer, or basketball, Panini’s Kaboom! insert set features some of the most desirable modern cards for collectors to chase. Typically released at a rate of one per case, they’re especially rare, and the majority are valuable. 

Instantly recognizable thanks to a unique design, it’s proof that you don’t always need an auto or a serial number. Best of all, Etienne Jr.’s Kaboom! auto has an RC logo attached. 

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3. 2021 Prizm Color Blast Travis Etienne Jr RC #CB19 (eBay) 

The Color Blast Insert set is arguably the most popular new release in modern years, spreading to almost every sport imaginable while featuring some of the biggest stars doing what they do best.

Nearing the top end of our list of the best Travis Etienne Jr. rookie cards to collect, it’s another hyper-rare insert that has proven to be a coveted collectible. You can’t go wrong with the super short print.

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2. 2021 Immaculate Travis Etienne Jr. RC #PPATE (eBay)

2021 Panini Immaculate Collection Football is a high-end release that comes with a low print run and a large patch. The design is slightly more cluttered than the National Treasures Etienne Jr. RC seen below, but it’s still a worthy alternative that is likely to be a fair bit cheaper. You’ll see the NFL Shield one-of-one in the image above.

• Parallels: Gold #/10, NFL Shield 1/1, Platinum 1/1

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1. 2021 National Treasures Travis Etienne Jr. RC #169 (eBay)

National Treasures is a premium collection, with the Rookie Patch Autographs subset benefiting from a minuscule print run and a sleek finish capped by a large patch and an on-card auto. A high-end card with a luxury look and feel, the base version is limited to 99 copies, and it has long been seen as the go-to set for high-end rookie card collectors. 

As always, this is evidenced by exceptionally high resale values, especially when graded.  

• Parallels: Purple #/49, Holo Silver #/25, Midnight #/20, Holo Gold #/10, Stars & Stripes Blue #/10, Black #/5, Red Brand Logo 1/1, Platinum NFL Shield 1/1, Red 1/1, Red Laundry Tag 1/1, Printing Plates 1/1, Green Jersey Number 1/1

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Travis Etienne Jr. Rookie Cards: Buyers Guide 

We’ve put together a guide if you’re interested in the best Travis Etienne Jr. rookie cards to collect. 

There are lots of cheaper options, as a byproduct of overproduced sets released during 2021. We’d advise to stick with a serial numbered card if possible, unless you’re looking at an insert like Color Blast. 

Our top pick as the best Travis Etienne Jr. rookie card is the 2021 National Treasures RPA, found in the Rookie Patch Autographs subset. (As you may have guessed, it features a large patch, as well as an on-card auto at the bottom.)

Travis Etienne Jr. Rookie Cards: Final Thoughts 

Travis Etienne Jr. rookie cards are some of the hottest in the hobby, even if his time on the field has been somewhat limited in 2022. ​​Somehow, James Robinson managed to recover from a ruptured Achilles to snatch up valuable playing time, but they may yet be able to work in tandem. 

In any case, we wouldn’t be ready to write off Etienne Jr. just yet, especially as he missed out on making a mark during his hyped rookie season due to injury.