NFL DRAFT

How much is each NFL draft pick worth? Breaking down Jimmy Johnson's trade value chart

The Hall of Fame coach devised the original NFL draft trade value chart in the 1990s

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Among all the important numbers associated with the NFL draft, some of the most important came from Jimmy Johnson.

In the 1990s, the Hall of Fame head coach devised a numerical system for evaluating draft trades. Top picks were worth more points, and the values got lower the closer they got to Mr. Irrelevant.

Let’s take a look at Johnson’s system and how teams could use it to evaluate the 2024 NFL Draft:

Jimmy Johnson’s draft value trade chart

Under Johnson’s system, the top overall pick is worth 3,000 points. That means if any team were to offer the Chicago Bears a trade package for the No. 1 pick and the chance to select quarterback Caleb Williams, the picks in the offer would have to exceed a combined value of 3,000 points.

The No. 2 (2,600) and No. 3 (2,200) picks are the only other selections worth more than 2,000 points. All picks Nos. 1-16 are worth 1,000 points or more and all picks Nos. 1-100 are worth 100 points or more.

The original chart doesn’t fully work in 2024. Johnson created his system before conditional draft picks could be traded, so it only has values for the first 224 selections in a draft. This year, there will be 257.

The system was also created at a time where rookie contracts were different. The 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement created a new rookie wage scale where top picks did not cost as much, inherently making them a greater value for the teams.

Lastly, not all draft trades are limited to picks. Players are often traded for draft picks, so teams will need to use their own judgment in gauging how much those actual players are worth compared to the pick values.

Other models have been developed over the last three decades to account for the changes to the NFL since Johnson first created his chart.

Full draft value chart breakdown

Here is the value of each pick under Johnson’s chart:

Round 1

PickValue
13,000
22,600
32,200
41,800
51,700
61,600
71,500
81,400
91,350
101,300
111,250
121,200
131,150
141,100
151,050
161,000
17950
18900
19875
20850
21800
22780
23760
24740
25720
26700
27680
28660
29640
30620
31600
32590

Round 2

PickValue
33580
34560
35550
36540
37530
38520
39510
40500
41490
42480
43470
44460
45450
46440
47430
48420
49410
50400
51390
52380
53370
54360
55350
56340
57330
58320
59310
60300
61292
62284
63276
64270

Round 3

PickValue
65265
66260
67255
68250
69245
70240
71235
72230
73225
74220
75215
76210
77205
78200
79195
80190
81185
82180
83175
84170
85165
86160
87155
88150
89145
90140
91136
92132
93128
94124
95120
96116

Round 4

PickValue
97112
98108
99104
100100
10196
10292
10388
10486
10584
10682
10780
10878
10976
11074
11172
11270
11368
11466
11564
11662
11760
11858
11956
12054
12152
12250
12349
12448
12547
12646
12745
12844

Round 5

PickValue
12943
13042
13141
13240
13339.5
13439
13538.5
13638
13737.5
13837
13936.5
14036
14135.5
14235
14334.5
14434
14533.5
14633
14732.6
14832.3
14931.8
15031.4
15131
15230.6
15330.2
15429.8
15529.4
15629
15728.6
15828.2
15927.8
16027.4

Round 6

PickValue
16127
16226.6
16326.2
16425.8
16525.4
16625
16724.6
16824.2
16923.8
17023.4
17123
17222.6
17322.2
17421.8
17521.4
17621
17720.6
17820.2
17919.8
18019.4
18119
18218.6
18318.2
18417.8
18517.4
18617
18716.6
18816.2
18915.8
19015.4
19115
19214.6

Round 7

PickValue
19314.2
19413.8
19513.4
19613
19712.6
19812.2
19911.8
20011.4
20111
20210.6
20310.2
2049.8
2059.4
2069
2078.6
2088.2
2097.8
2107.4
2117
2126.6
2136.2
2145.8
2155.4
2165
2174.6
2184.2
2193.8
2203.4
2213
2222.6
2232.3
2242
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