16. Monti Ossenfort, Arizona Cardinals
On paper, the Arizona Cardinals are better than they were last year, and this team did see their win total double from 2023 into 2024. At one point last year, they were 6-4, so this team is close, and GM Monti Ossenfort has simply done a great job at finding the weak spots of this roster and filling them with quality players, so it would not shock me if a 10-win season was on the horizon for Arizona.
15. Joe Hortiz, Los Angeles Chargers
Did the Los Angeles Chargers get better this offseason? GM Joe Hortiz did not address the offensive line like he should have, and the weapons are still subpar on offense. The depth, overall, is just bad, and the top-end talent isn’t there. However, he has seemed to at least present a stabilizing force for the franchise, as he’s not a bad GM.
14. John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers have hit on a ton of draft picks in the John Lynch era, and while this team feels a bit weaker than in previous seasons, they have a ton of young talent and could quite easily get back into the playoffs this year. Overall, Lynch and the 49ers aren’t a great team at the moment, but we can’t ignore how good some of the previous teams have been and how much of that has been due to John Lynch and his sharp eye.
13. Duke Tobin, Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals really managed to get deals done for Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson, and Ja’Marr Chase this offseason, but it was not easy. I do wonder how much Duke Tobin is held back by the folks over top of him, but overall, it seems like he’s been able to built another solid roster. There are still questions along the offensive line and on the defense, but if the key players stay healthy and Cincy can avoid the slow start, they’ll win double-digit games and return too the playoffs for the first time since 2022.