Buzz Break: 2018 Donruss Optic football cards (Mega Box)

From time to time, Buzz will break a box of something and break down the results here. Like this and want to see more -- or maybe there's a box you'd want to see busted? Send Buzz an email at BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com.

The box: 2018 Donruss Optic NFL cards (Mega Box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (for hobby and FOTL)

Packs per box: 10
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 40
Base set completion: 15 of 100 (15 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards: Carson Wentz, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Mitchell Trubisky, Jared Goff, Aaron Rodgers, O.J. Howard, David Johnson, Leonard Fournette, Calais Campbell, Doug Baldwin, Demaryius Thomas, Devontae Booker, Bilal Powell, Leonard Williams

Inserts/short-prints: 24 (all inserts/short-prints in gallery below)
Rated Rookies (SP) (5) – Josh Allen, Denzel Ward, Dante Pettis, Alex McGough, Keke Coutee
Rated Rookies Prizms (1) – Jordan Lasley
Red & Yellow Prizm Rated Rookies (5) – Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Mike White, Christian Kirk, Kalen Ballage
Rookie Cards (SP) (5) – Jordan Akins, Chase Edmonds, Jordan Wilkins, Justin Jackson, Cedrick Wilson Jr.
Rookie Cards Prizms (1) – Jordan Akins
Red & Yellow Prizm Rookie Cards (5) – Jordan Akins, Chase Edmonds, Justin Jackson, Cedrick Wilson Jr., Avonte Maddox
Legends Series (1) – Joe Namath
Elite Series (1) – Fletcher Cox

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Red & Yellow Rookie Phenom Jerseys (1) – Hayden Hurst

What's Buzz-worthy: The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat -- that was the feeling here when I found a close to dead-centered Red & Yellow Mayfield but flipped it over to see that it might have a slight surface scratch on the back -- a surprise that I had just recently been prompted to look for when grading a Red & Yellow Optic pull from last year (look for that bummer in a future Making the Grade). There was a little more thrill, though, when I looked up the Mayfield on eBay and saw hefty asking prices, though none had actually sold yet. Throw in a Chubb of the same type and a Josh Allen Rated Rookie and the box felt pretty good, though the hit wasn't great. (At least these mega boxes have one ... some brands out there don't.) There was a lot of repetition here on the rookie front, which didn't pay off in this box, but could if you get a run of big-name guys -- and that makes these $35 Walmart boxes compelling on that front alone. Nothing here was serial-numbered, so there could be plenty more in the pipeline so keep that in mind if you're not an immediate flipper. I wasn't a big fan of the standard Donruss NFL release this year, but these Optichromed versions look good and one big aesthetic issue on the Rated Rookies in Donruss has been fixed for this release. These boxes weren't plentiful in the first wave from what I saw on a shelf locally, but there could be more to come -- maybe it's just a good box taking, but I'd rip again.

Product Grade: A
Box Grade: A-
Fun Grade: B+

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