Being a General Manager in the NFL has to be the toughest front office job in sports, as GMs are trying to juggle a 53-man roster. With so many players on the roster, it's nearly impossible to not have at least a few weak positions.
This also makes the best GMs in the NFL stick out rather notably. As training camps ramp up across the league, this is where the work of every GM in the NFL comes into focus. And as we get into August and into the preseason games, these GMs will also have to make some brutal roster decisions as well.
Let's check out some of the best GMs in the NFL and rank the best here. Since building an NFL team takes year, we'll rank GMs based on their total body of work.
Ranking the best GMs in the NFL for 2026 as training camps roll on
8. George Paton, Denver Broncos
George Paton needed to make a big move to bring in the right head coach, and he did just that a few years ago in swinging a deal for Sean Payton. Even with Paton's tenure with the Denver Broncos starting off on the wrong foot, he was able to draft quite well before Payton arrived.
The Broncos have won 24 regular season games over the past two seasons and would have likely made the Super Bowl had quarterback Bo Nix not gotten hurt. Sure, the Broncos obviously did not make the big game, but this was and still remains a Super Bowl-caliber roster, and Paton's sharp drafting and free agency acquisitions have made him one of the better GMs in the league.
7. John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers
John Lynch has helped the San Francisco 49ers reach two Super Bowls, one in 2019 and one in 2023. Yes, the 49ers have lost both, but getting to multiple Super Bowls is one heck of an accomplishment.
The 49ers, oddly enough, haven't necessarily drafted all that well, but they're still consistently among the most talented teams in the NFL despite the below-average drafting. Lynch is already entering his 10th year on the job as well, so he's sustained this success for years now.
6. Nick Caserio, Houston Texans
Nick Caserio has assembled one of the league's best rosters, and Houston is beginning to sustain yearly success now, having gotten into the Divisional Round three years in a row to go along with two AFC South titles and a 12-win season in 2025.
Caserio has done a nearly flawless job thus far, and if quarterback CJ Stroud can regain his rookie season form in 2023 for this year, the Texans could absolutely win it all. This roster is simply loaded and isn't missing anything from emerging as a champion.
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