Draft Value Trade Chart

Understanding Draft Value Trade Charts

NFL draft picks aren’t just selections — they’re assets. To evaluate trades objectively, teams, analysts, and front offices rely on draft value charts that assign numerical values to each pick. These charts provide a framework for determining whether a trade is balanced, aggressive, or exploitative.

Skol Draft Room uses two primary draft value models to evaluate trade scenarios from multiple angles:

The Jimmy Johnson Trade Chart
The Fitzgerald Trade Chart

Each chart reflects a different philosophy on how draft capital should be valued.

The Jimmy Johnson Draft Value Chart

The Jimmy Johnson chart is the original and most widely known draft value model. Created in the early 1990s, it assigns a fixed point value to every pick in the draft, with the highest selections carrying enormous weight.

Core Philosophy

Elite picks are disproportionately valuable
Trading up for top talent is justified
Quantity does not outweigh quality

Under this model, early first-round picks are treated as franchise-altering assets, while late-round selections have sharply diminishing value.

How It’s Used

Historically favored by traditional front offices
Common reference point in media and draft broadcasts
Best suited for evaluating top-of-the-draft trades

Limitations

Overvalues early picks compared to modern hit rates
Undervalues mid-round depth and flexibility
Does not reflect rookie contract economics

The Jimmy Johnson chart is useful for understanding how teams used to think — and how some still do.

The Fitzgerald Draft Value Chart

The Fitzgerald chart represents a modernized approach to draft valuation. Rather than concentrating value heavily at the top, this model spreads value more evenly across picks based on historical performance, roster construction efficiency, and expected return.

Core Philosophy

Draft capital is about probability, not hype
Multiple quality picks can outweigh one elite selection
Mid-round value matters more than legacy charts suggest

This model reflects how teams increasingly view the draft as a portfolio of assets, not a lottery ticket.

How It’s Used

Better reflects modern team-building strategies
Accounts for diminishing returns on top picks
Aligns with data-driven front offices

Strengths

More realistic valuation of Day 2 and Day 3 picks
Encourages trade-down scenarios
Matches modern rookie wage scale dynamics

The Fitzgerald chart helps evaluate whether a team is maximizing total value, not just chasing star power.

Why Skol Draft Room Uses Both

No single chart tells the full story.

Skol Draft Room references both models to:

Identify when a trade favors star-chasing vs. value accumulation
Compare how a deal looks through traditional and modern lenses
Expose when teams overpay based on outdated assumptions

If a trade wins on both charts, it’s usually strong.
If it wins on one and loses on the other, context matters.

Applying the Charts to Vikings Strategy

When evaluating Minnesota’s draft trades, we ask:

Does the move align with long-term roster construction?
Are premium picks being used efficiently?
Is flexibility being gained or sacrificed?

The Vikings’ decisions are analyzed through both valuation frameworks to understand not just what they did — but whyit makes sense (or doesn’t).

Final Thought

Draft value charts are tools — not rules.

The Jimmy Johnson chart explains how the league used to think.
The Fitzgerald chart explains how smart teams think now.

Skol Draft Room uses both to cut through noise, expose inefficiencies, and evaluate draft strategy with clarity and purpose.

Because winning the draft isn’t about headlines — it’s about value.

Jimmy Johnson Draft Value Chart

Round 1		Round 2		Round 3		Round 4		Round 5		Round 6		Round 7
1	3,000	33	580	65	265	97	112	129	43	161	27	193	14.2	225	1
2	2,600	34	560	66	260	98	108	130	42	162	26.6	194	13.8	226	1
3	2,200	35	550	67	255	99	104	131	41	163	26.2	195	13.4	227	1
4	1,800	36	540	68	250	100	100	132	40	164	25.8	196	13	228	1
5	1,700	37	530	69	245	101	96	133	39.5	165	25.4	197	12.6	229	1
6	1,600	38	520	70	240	102	92	134	39	166	25	198	12.2	230	1
7	1,500	39	510	71	235	103	88	135	38.5	167	24.6	199	11.8	231	1
8	1,400	40	500	72	230	104	86	136	38	168	24.2	200	11.4	232	1
9	1,350	41	490	73	225	105	84	137	37.5	169	23.8	201	11	233	1
10	1,300	42	480	74	220	106	82	138	37	170	23.4	202	10.6	234	1
11	1,250	43	470	75	215	107	80	139	36.5	171	23	203	10.2	235	1
12	1,200	44	460	76	210	108	78	140	36	172	22.6	204	9.8	236	1
13	1,150	45	450	77	205	109	76	141	35.5	173	22.2	205	9.4	237	1
14	1,100	46	440	78	200	110	74	142	35	174	21.8	206	9	238	1
15	1,050	47	430	79	195	111	72	143	34.5	175	21.4	207	8.6	239	1
16	1,000	48	420	80	190	112	70	144	34	176	21	208	8.2	240	1
17	950	49	410	81	185	113	68	145	33.5	177	20.6	209	7.8	241	1
18	900	50	400	82	180	114	66	146	33	178	20.2	210	7.4	242	1
19	875	51	390	83	175	115	64	147	32.6	179	19.8	211	7	243	1
20	850	52	380	84	170	116	62	148	32.2	180	19.4	212	6.6	244	1
21	800	53	370	85	165	117	60	149	31.8	181	19	213	6.2	245	1
22	780	54	360	86	160	118	58	150	31.4	182	18.6	214	5.8	246	1
23	760	55	350	87	155	119	56	151	31	183	18.2	215	5.4	247	1
24	740	56	340	88	150	120	54	152	30.6	184	17.8	216	5	248	1
25	720	57	330	89	145	121	52	153	30.2	185	17.4	217	4.6	249	1
26	700	58	320	90	140	122	50	154	29.8	186	17	218	4.2	250	1
27	680	59	310	91	136	123	49	155	29.4	187	16.6	219	3.8	251	1
28	660	60	300	92	132	124	48	156	29	188	16.2	220	3.4	252	1
29	640	61	292	93	128	125	47	157	28.6	189	15.8	221	3
30	620	62	284	94	124	126	46	158	28.2	190	15.4	222	2.6
31	600	63	276	95	120	127	45	159	27.8	191	15	223	2.3
32	590	64	270	96	116	128	44	160	27.4	192	14.6	224	2

Fitzgerald-Spielberger NFL Draft Trade Value Chart

Pick	Value	Pick	Value	Pick	Value	Pick	Value	Pick	Value	Pick	Value	Pick	Value	Pick	Value
1	3000	33	1228	65	885	97	682	129	537	161	425	193	333	225	255
2	2649	34	1213	66	877	98	676	130	533	162	422	194	330	226	253
3	2443	35	1198	67	869	99	671	131	529	163	419	195	328	227	251
4	2297	36	1184	68	862	100	666	132	526	164	416	196	325	228	249
5	2184	37	1170	69	854	101	661	133	522	165	412	197	323	229	246
6	2092	38	1157	70	847	102	656	134	518	166	409	198	320	230	244
7	2014	39	1143	71	840	103	651	135	514	167	406	199	318	231	242
8	1946	40	1131	72	833	104	646	136	510	168	403	200	315	232	240
9	1887	41	1118	73	826	105	642	137	507	169	400	201	312	233	238
10	1833	42	1106	74	819	106	637	138	503	170	397	202	310	234	235
11	1785	43	1094	75	812	107	632	139	499	171	394	203	307	235	233
12	1741	44	1082	76	805	108	627	140	496	172	391	204	305	236	231
13	1700	45	1071	77	799	109	623	141	492	173	388	205	302	237	229
14	1663	46	1060	78	792	110	618	142	489	174	386	206	300	238	227
15	1628	47	1049	79	786	111	613	143	485	175	383	207	298	239	225
16	1595	48	1038	80	779	112	609	144	481	176	380	208	295	240	223
17	1564	49	1028	81	773	113	604	145	478	177	377	209	293	241	220
18	1535	50	1018	82	767	114	600	146	474	178	374	210	290	242	218
19	1508	51	1007	83	761	115	595	147	471	179	371	211	288	243	216
20	1482	52	998	84	755	116	591	148	468	180	368	212	285	244	214
21	1457	53	988	85	749	117	587	149	464	181	366	213	283	245	212
22	1434	54	979	86	743	118	582	150	461	182	363	214	281	246	210
23	1411	55	969	87	737	119	578	151	457	183	360	215	278	247	208
24	1389	56	960	88	731	120	574	152	454	184	357	216	276	248	206
25	1369	57	951	89	725	121	570	153	451	185	354	217	274	249	204
26	1349	58	942	90	720	122	565	154	447	186	352	218	271	250	202
27	1330	59	934	91	714	123	561	155	444	187	349	219	269	251	200
28	1311	60	925	92	709	124	557	156	441	188	346	220	267	252	198
29	1294	61	917	93	703	125	553	157	438	189	344	221	264	253	196
30	1276	62	909	94	698	126	549	158	434	190	341	222	262	254	194
31	1260	63	900	95	692	127	545	159	431	191	338	223	260	255	192
32	1244	64	892	96	687	128	541	160	428	192	336	224	258	256	190