NFLPA: Steelers QB Kenny Pickett Will Lead Rookie Product Sales

The NFLPA projects Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett will be one of the league’s rising stars with regards to consumer product sales this coming season.

In its annual report identifying players with the potential to make an instant impact in consumer sales, the NFLPA projects Pickett will be the top selling rookie this coming season.

By identifying players with considerable sales potential, the NFLPA is able to provide its sponsors, retailers and licensees with “insights to plan marketing campaigns, social media activations, player-driven content, brand ambassadors and product lines featuring a wider variety of players.”

It is no surprise Pickett is at the top of the rookie list given he was the only quarterback selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

69 players deemed “Rising Stars” have ended the season in the NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales list since 2015.

Chicago’s Justin Fields and New England’s Mac Jones, both quarterbacks selected in last year’s first round, ended the 2021 season ranked fifth and eighth, respectively.

The NFLPA incorporates a number of factors when compiling its “Rising Star” rankings, including “on-field performance, early demand from NFLPA partners for content and marketing, fantasy league status, social media engagement, product submissions from 80+ NFLPA licensees, team fanbases and new faces in strong markets.”

Veteran players can also be considered “Rising Stars,” but can not have previously finished in the NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales List.

“The magic of this list is that it pulls from a variety of data including player sales, fan bases, social media engagement and even fantasy football popularity,” President of NFL Players Inc. Steve Scebelo said in a press release Wednesday. “Combined with their diverse personalities and exciting on-field performances, we forecast players best positioned to move the needle for products and marketing in the upcoming season.”

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London and New York Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner have the second and third best projections among rookies. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, who led the league with eleven interceptions last season, is atop the rankings for veteran players.