We can only imagine how hard it has to be to build a winning NFL roster. With 53 active players on a roster, there is so much room for things to go south, unfortunately, and it makes the best teams in the NFL that much more impressive.
Across the NFL, there are a lot of quality General Managers that clearly know what they are doing, but others, no so much. With OTAs and minicamp now behind us, and training camp about one month away, we're going to take a deeper dive into the best GMs in the NFL for the 2026 NFL Season.
Let's power-rank the 10 best GMs in the NFL, and we're simply basing our rankings on the entire roster construction, while also looking at recent successes.
Updated General Manager power rankings following OTAs and minicamp
10. Jason Licht, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There aren't many GMs in the NFL today who are better at drafting than Jason Licht. Tom Brady, years ago, didn't just spin a wheel and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for fun - that roster was already quite good at the time.
Licht's Bucs have been stable for a half-decade now, and the Super Bowl title in 2020 was no fluke. Yes, the team hasn't won more than 10 games in a season in years, but that doesn't lessen how solid and stable Licht has been during his tenure with the Buccaneers.
9. Brian Gutekunst, Green Bay Packers
Brian Gutekunst is in a similar boat, but he obviously does not have a Super Bowl title as the Green Bay Packers' General Manager. Gutekunst seemingly fields a quality roster every single season, and his career record as GM of 82-49-2, with just two losing seasons, speaks for itself. Yes, the Packers have hit a bit of a ceiling in recent years, but even getting to this point as a GM is quite impressive.
Gutekunst's Packers own a 3-6 record in the playoffs, so slaying that dragon has not yet happened.
8. John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers
With five double-digit winning seasons in nine years, two Super Bowl appearances, and a 9-5 playoff record, John Lynch deserves to be on this list. While Kyle Shanahan also likely has a huge hand in roster-building, that is also the case for many other NFL teams.
Lynch and Shanahan have not exactly done that well together in the NFL Draft, but it's not a mystery that this team is fielding playoff-caliber rosters every single season. Outside of a few years that have been marred by injuries, the 49ers typically get into the playoffs and advance quite far.
It's a good operation for the 49ers right now, and yes, while they're 0-2 in the Super Bowl, most GMs don't even sniff the big game.
7. George Paton, Denver Broncos
It's hard not to talk about the work that George Paton has done with the Denver Broncos. The Broncos have increased their win total each year since Sean Payton took over, and this roster is just loaded with star-studded talent. It's not by mistake that this team has now won 24 regular season games over the past two seasons, and if not for a broken ankle, there would have been a chance for Denver to have won it all this past season.
6. Eric DeCosta, Baltimore Ravens
Eric DeCosta has sustained some great rosters year over year in Baltimore, and despite a shaky 1-5 start in 2025, the Ravens nearly battled back and won the AFC North. Baltimore's drafting is sound, and the overall roster-building has been great for years now. When things aren't totally going off the rails, the Ravens are usually a top-3 team in the AFC.
5. Nick Caserio, Houston Texans
Nick Caserio's Houston Texans' squad could sport the best roster in the NFL. His work in the NFL Draft has been sensational, and this offseason saw Houston infuse the offensive line with much-needed talent, which proves that Caserio knows how to go about repairing any roster weaknesses.
Houston won the AFC South in 2023 and 2024, and nearly won the AFC South in 2025 with a 12-5 record. This is a juggernaut-level roster.
4. Brad Holmes, Detroit Lions
Brad Holmes took over a Lions franchise that desperately needed some stability, and that's what he's brought. Detroit has finished with a winning record four years in a row, and did win 27 regular season games from 2023-2024.
The Lions have a slew of NFL Draft hits in guys like Aidan Hutchinson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Jameson Williams, and others. For years now, the Lions have had one of the league's best rosters, and even Jared Goff has revived his career and is a top-10 signal-caller.
3. Les Snead, Los Angeles Rams
Is Les Snead the most aggressive GM in NFL history? I think it's worth arguing. The Rams won the Super Bowl back in 2021 with what was, at the time, a modern-day NFL super-team, and I am not sure the Rams don't have that here for 2026 now that Myles Garrett is in the picture.
The Rams won it all in 2021, and based on how this group looks for 2026, Snead could be well on his way to another Super Bowl title.
2. John Schneider, Seattle Seahawks
Now a two-time Super Bowl champion GM with the Seattle Seahawks, John Schneider built the most balanced team in the NFL this past season. His decision to essentially swap Geno Smith with Sam Darnold was masterful, and on defense, that unit is as deep along the defensive line as a team can possibly get.
1. Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman comes in at No. 1 in our power rankings. He's sustained top-tier success for quite some time with the Philadelphia Eagles. He's won two Super Bowls as the Eagles' GM and has a 150-110-1 record, along with a 10-8 record in the playoffs. Roseman's Eagles have four-straight seasons of double-digit wins, and five winning seasons in a row.