So last weekend I’m scrolling through eBay for Jayden Daniels rookie cards, and my brain goes: “Why not make a mosaic version?” Sounded cool. Grabbed my old card stock, photo paper, and a cheap cutter I haven’t touched since trying scrapbooking. Found a bunch of his LSU & draft day pics online.
The Messy Start
Taped a base card to my desk. Measured how many tiny squares I needed – way off first try. Cut way too many gold and purple LSU-colored pieces. Had this grand plan: his face made from college moments, background showing NFL draft hype. Looked sweet in my head.
Sticking & Swearing
Started pasting. First ten pieces? Crooked. Next bunch? Glue bleeding through. My dog sniffed too close – ripped half a sleeve holding the tiny squares. Had to pause, put him outside. Restarted slow:
- Dabbed glue with a toothpick (less mess)
- Used tweezers to place pieces (shaky hands!)
- Cleaned smudges constantly with a damp Q-tip
His jersey number kept getting lost. Had to recut five ‘5’ pieces twice. Finger cramped hard.
Connecting the Fantasy Part
While drying, fired up FantasyPros. Saw his ADP climbing fast. Noted big things:
- Dude runs. Like, a lot. Mobile QBs = fantasy gold.
- Washington’s weapons? Terry & Jahan? Legit.
- Rookie wall? Probably hits Week 10-12.
Stuck little ‘ADP’ and ‘RB1’ stats near his legs on the mosaic. Cheesy? Maybe. Felt right.
Final Push & Draft Preview
Top corner was plain. Printed a tiny Commanders logo, cut it uneven. Glued it crooked but whatever. Added final gloss coat – fingerprinted it immediately. Had to redo that section. Total time? Like, four hours. Worth it? For the look? Yeah.
Holding the finished card? So satisfying. Makes you wanna draft him everywhere. Rookie QBs are scary though. Looked close at Washington’s preseason clips – his reads need time. Probably sits on my bench first few weeks. But if that mosaic magic means anything? He’ll pop off mid-season.
