Each NFL team uses its own trade model to determine equitable value. When it comes to the NFL draft, though, different models can leave teams with the short end of the stick.

The New York Jets made numerous trades during the 2026 NFL draft to acquire talent across the board. By the end of the three days, Gang Green had not only filled most roster holes but also kept most of its quality 2027 draft capital.

New York’s trade model was seldom discussed before the draft, but it surely became a key talking point. Interestingly, the Jets model turned out to be one that has been around much longer than people realize.

Jets’ trade value model

Drafttek, a website that breaks down draft picks for point-based value, has been around for a long time. One of the models Draftek utilizes is former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson’s famous point-value model, used to analyze NFL draft pick trades.

It helped the Cowboys build a dynasty in the 1990s, starting with the often celebrated (and hated, at least from a Minnesota Vikings fan point of view) Herschel Walker trade.

Now, the Jets are utilizing the same system. At the very least, it’s just one system they use. (The more widely used system in the modern era is the Rich Hill model, which came to prominence around 2017.)

New York made four trades during the 2026 draft that included a move up for wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. in the first round, a trade back for D’Angelo Ponds in the second, and a pair of late-round moves to secure offensive line and quarterback depth.

The value yielded and gained aligns with Johnson’s old system and is a key cog in how the Jets operate.

“[The Jets] also utilize the old Jimmy Johnson-based points system that’s still considered effective by some teams,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently wrote. “New York believes it succeeded in all of its trade-ups based on its projections of what it could have if staying put, as well as what it gave up.”

By keeping all of their top 2027 draft assets and adding quality plug-and-play starters, the Jets look far different now than they have in recent years.

Draft outlook

The value chart deemed it fair to send the 33rd overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers, along with a fifth-round pick, for the 30th overall selection. Based on the value chart, New York actually won the trade by 30 points.

If Cooper, the player taken with that pick, produces at the level Gang Green anticipates, those 30 points could turn into one to two wins per year. It might even help turn the Jets into a winner for the first time in over a decade.

“He’s a guy that we had good grades on, and when we saw him there toward the end of the first, an opportunity to give up a comp fifth, to get back up and get the fifth year option and just make sure we got our guy, we felt really good about that to add another weapon,” Mougey said on draft night. “Cooper has strong hands, can block, and has versatility to play inside and outside.”

The Cooper trade is a good example of how Jimmy Johnson’s value chart is something the team covets at this point in their rebuild.

Courtesy of tried-and-tested methods, the New York Jets might just be on the right track this time around.