General managers in the NFL, all 32 of them, have an incredibly difficult responsibility; assembling the rosters of their franchises to put them in the best position possible to win games while staying within their financial means.
Here are three NFL GMs of 2022 that are performing at an elite level.
3 NFL general managers excelling in the 2022 season
3. Joe Douglas, New York Jets
The New York Jets currently stand at 6-4 which amazingly still places them at the bottom of the AFC East. The Jets won four total games in 2021 also finishing last in the AFC East. The Jets still have more time to improve and despite recent inter-team issues with quarterback Zach Wilson the team looks rejuvenated.
A lot of that rejuvenation has to do with their general manager, Joe Douglas, who is in his fourth season with the Jets. Douglas has not always necessarily struck gold in the draft and free agency but in 2022 he made splash upon splash that definitely contributed to the Jets’ success thus far.
Douglas selected cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson in the first round and was able to trade back up into the first round to take defensive end Jermaine Johnson. All three players have been impactful in their rookie seasons, most notably Gardner who is not only playing like the best rookie cornerback in the league but possibly THE best corner in the league. Douglas was not done in the first round but also grabbed running back Breece Hall in the second round. Hall proved to be a star at the position but was injured in Week 7 and will not return in 2022.
Douglas hit on several of his free agent acquisitions, specifically cornerback DJ Reed, safety Jordan Whitehead, and 37-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco who led the team to a surprising win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.
Joe Douglas selected a haul of playmakers in 2022 to join the Jets and to assist his defensive-minded coach, Robert Saleh, in transforming Saleh’s favorite unit into the 9th-ranked defense in the league. The offense still has much to be desired checking at 28th in the league but Douglas may have to make that number rise with a new quarterback in 2023. Douglas will still have a plethora of picks to work with in 2023, just not as many as the 2022 draft. If the Zach Wilson pick ends up not working out it will certainly be a knock against Douglas but if he continues to work at his current pace Douglas will likely strike gold again.
Don’t forget, Douglas orchestrated the trade of Jamal Adams to the Seahawks which provided the Jets with two first-round picks and a third-rounder, not to mention the freed up cap space without having to pay Adams the contract he wanted. Douglas is hitting his stride as the general manager of the Jets and expect him to continue to make waves in 2023.
2. Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman checking in at #2 instead of #1 may upset some people, especially considering the Eagles are 9-1 and are comfortably in first place in NFC East. All will be explained.
The Eagles finished the 2021 season with 9 wins so as long as they squeak out at least one more win then they have improved. We know the Eagles are striving for much more after a wild-card loss in last year’s playoffs against the Buccaneers.
Roseman has been with the team as their general manager for 12 seasons however he has been with the Eagles since 2000. Roseman was the architect behind the 2017 roster which ended with the Eagles achieving their first Super Bowl. Since then Roseman appears obsessed with reaching greatness once again.
Roseman has made some questionable picks in his tenure; most recently selecting Jalen Reagor over receiving sensation Justin Jefferson in the 2020 NFL Draft and receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside in the 2019 NFL Draft over DK Metcalf. Reagor is now a Minnesota Viking and Arcega-Whiteside is a free agent. Roseman had developed a bit of a reputation for struggling to select a solid wide receiver in the draft but he bounced back in 2021 selecting Devonta Smith and he was not done there.
The reason Roseman is in the top 3 to begin with is his off-season haul in 2022. Roseman strengthened up his defense by signing free agent linebacker Haason Reddick and instead of taking a risk drafting another bust receiver in the first round he traded his pick to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for dynamic receiver AJ Brown. Brown is already synced up with quarterback Jalen Hurts and is ranked in the top 6 in touchdowns and average yards per reception.
Roseman then traded back into the first round and picked defensive tackle Jordan Davis, an imposing figure on the defensive line. Roseman grabbed a center and snatched up linebacker Nakobe Dean who fell deep into the draft and Roseman took the risk. While Dean may not be active often and Davis sustained an injury Roseman still has not stopped adding depth pieces and recently signed free agent defensive lineman Linval Joseph AND Ndamukong Suh.
What really makes Roseman stand out is his style in 2022 has been extremely appealing to everyone who covers the league, as a fan or analyst. Why? Roseman is selecting players they clearly need and then adding even deeper talent to the roster on top of it. Devonta Smith is an excellent receiver. While it was surprising that the Eagles traded away their first-round pick using it to trade for AJ Brown was brilliant. It shows in their prolific offense every Sunday this season.
The Eagles lost their first game to the Washington Commanders which revealed some poor run defense on their part. What did Roseman do? Signed two Pro Bowl defensive tackles to beef up the line. Brilliant.
Roseman is making amends for past mistakes, as every general manager has, but it would not be surprising if he was on his way to bringing his Eagles to another Super Bowl appearance.
1. Brett Veach, Kansas City Chiefs
This may seem obvious or make some people angry but the #1 general manager of 2022 (thus far) is Brett Veach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Veach was an instrumental part of the Chiefs winning their first Super Bowl in 2019 (no, not counting the 1970 championship) and in his six seasons as general manager, Veach has continued to assemble high-powered rosters.
Veach has not always been impeccable as the second-round pick of defensive end Breeland Speaks was a true disaster from the start. Veach’s errors in the draft however are so marginal that those same players would be top-tier on other teams. Critics argue that linebacker Willie Gay who was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, was a bust but currently is a consistent starter despite a suspension in 2022.
Let’s get a look at the good. Veach is credited as the man that is responsible for drafting Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is a generational talent and is not only the best player the Chiefs ever drafted but he may end up as one of the greatest quarterbacks we have ever seen. Hitting on one draft pick isn’t reason enough to dub Veach the best general manager ever but he had a heck of a year in 2022.
Veach shocked the NFL world by trading speedster receiver Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins for a plethora of picks and in turn used those picks to select defensive end George Karlaftis (and cornerback Trent McDuffie) who are instant impact players. Veach also compensated for the loss of Hill by signing free agent receivers Juju Smith-Schuster, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling and most recently traded for Kadarius Toney from the Giants. Toney, if he can stay healthy, is the closest comparison to Tyreek Hill.
The Chiefs are currently decimating the AFC, specifically the AFC West, with an 8-2 record and have no signs of slowing down. The Chiefs have won three AFC Championships, played in two Super Bowls, and won one of them with Brett Veach as the general manager. What is mind-blowing about these achievements is Veach is not even close to done and as long as he has Patrick Mahomes at the helm the Chiefs are not done either. Veach may go down as one of the best to ever do it, therefore he has to land at the #1 position.