Being able to judge success among general managers in the NFL feels rather simple: do their teams win a lot? If the answer is yes, the GM is good, and obviously, if the answer is no, there are some tough questions to be asked.
With 53 players on an active NFL roster, there are so many opportunities for GMs to simply not get a position right. On the flip side, there is always a chance that a GM is able to load up the roster with talent all over the place.
Most importantly, a team needs to hammer down the quarterback position, as it's the most important position in all of sports, so GMs in the NFL really have the toughest job among all executives in professional sports. Let's power-rank the best GMs in the NFL. Our ranking is going to be based on overall roster talent and recent success as well.
NFL Power Rankings: Ranking the league's best GMs as the NFL Draft nears
10. Jason Licht, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers did have a down season, but a lot of that was due to piling injuries and some poor coaching. Jason Licht has been one of the best drafting GMs in the NFL for years now, as there was a reason why Tom Brady signed with the team back in 2020 - the greatest to ever do it saw the potential with that roster at the time.
Licht and the Bucs have struggled to hit that Super Bowl contender tier in recent years, but they've consistently taken ownership of the NFC South in his tenure.
9. Brian Gutekunst, Green Bay Packers
With just two losing seasons in seven years, and a 73-42-1 overall record, Brian Gutekunst is as steady as they come in the NFL. The Packers, like the Bucs, have struggled to hit that top tier, but Green Bay is continually one of the best-run organzations in the NFL.
8. John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers
Appearing in two Super Bowls as a GM, John Lynch has done a masterful job with the 49ers, and it seems like the only reason why this team has 'down' seasons is due to injuries. That could be an issue with the type of players they are scouting, but the Niners, when all is normal, are typically always a juggernaut.
7. Eric DeCosta, Baltimore Ravens
Eric DeCosta may have hurt himself and his future ability to make deals after the Maxx Crosby fiasco, but the Ravens sport one of the best rosters in the league and have hit on a ton of draft prospects in his tenure. Baltimore has failed to get over the hump in the playoffs, but that doesn't take away from how firm a grip DeCosta has on his group.
6. Nick Caserio, Houston Texans
What's not to like with the Texans roster? Nick Caserio seems to always be making a deal for someone, and this offseason, he added two key starters along the offensive line in Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith.
On paper, Houston has a top-5 roster and did have the best defense in the NFL last year. Whether it's outstanding free agency deals or NFL Draft hits, Caserio makes this job look easy. The Texans have won double-digit games three years in a row now, but an appearance in the AFC Championship Game continues to elude them.
5. George Paton, Denver Broncos
Suddenly, the Broncos are a juggernaut, but where George Paton wins is in the NFL Draft. All across the Broncos roster, you can see NFL Draft talent, and not all in the first round, either. Starters like Riley Moss, Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, Quinn Meinerz, Luke Wattenberg, and Troy Franklin were all taken outside of the first round.
But Paton has done well in free agency as well and has presided over a team that has won 24 regular season games the past two seasons.
4. Brad Holmes, Detroit Lions
Injuries have derailed the Lions seasons the past two years, but Brad Holmes' job as the teams GM remains nearly unmatched. Detroit had a solid tenure atop the NFC North before this year, but they still did finish with a winning record.
There isn't much that Holmes can't do, and no one would be shocked if the Lions won, let's say, 13 games in 2026 and returned to the top of the divsion.
3. Les Snead, Los Angeles Rams
Consistently an aggressive GM and a Super Bowl champion, Les Snead is third in our power rankings. The Rams secondary was a huge issue down the stretch in 2025, but Snead fixed it quickly with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
Snead's successes in the NFL Draft alongside Sean McVay have been out of this world, too.
2. Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman has won a Super Bowl with the Eagles and has appeared in another. Perhaps the most aggressive GM of this generation, Roseman's squad has emerged as an 'every other year' team since 2021. They've made it to the Super Bowl in the 2022 and 2024 seasons, but have gone one-and-done in the playoffs in 2021, 2023, and 2025.
Still, though, Philly is a shoo-in for double-digit wins and have become regulars in the playoffs.
1. John Schneider, Seattle Seahawks
Now a two-time Super Bowl champion, John Schneider is on top of the world. His Seahawks throttled the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl this past season. Schneider is the top GM in our power rankings, as he fielded the most explosive defense in the NFL this past season, and he looks like a genius for replacing Geno Smith with Sam Darnold.