8. Brian Gutekunst, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are now 7-3 and still alive in the NFC North. Jordan Love figured something out about midway through the 2023 NFL Season, and the Packers have not looked back since. Love does seem to have an interception problem, but he and the Packers are still in great standing. Green Bay and Brian Gutekunst have hit on a ton of draft picks in recent years, so this team is set for the long-term.
Let's not overthink this; Gutekunst has been a top GM in the NFL for years now.
7. Omar Khan, Pittsburgh Steelers
While the Pittsburgh Steelers do not have a long-term QB on the roster, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have proven to be very capable. The Steelers are now 8-2 on the season and perhaps shockingly in first place in the AFC North. While the Steelers are most definitely not making a Super Bowl run and still do have a QB issue, Khan taking a shot on Wilson and Fields could at least turn into a solution in 2025 for a bit as well.
6. Monti Ossenfort, Arizona Cardinals
I loved the Arizona Cardinals as a sneaky-good team going into the 2024 NFL Season, and here we are. They are 6-4 and in first place in the NFC West. Ossenfort probably needs one more offseason to polish up this roster, especially on defense, but man, the Cards have totally turned their franchise around in just one season.
They won four games in 2023 and could easily double that total in the coming weeks.
5. George Paton, Denver Broncos
Hats off to George Paton and the Denver Broncos for this past offseason. He totally botched the Nathaniel Hackett hire and Russell Wilson trade, but has since hired Sean Payton and helped draft Bo Nix, who may be the best rookie QB in football this season.
The Denver Broncos are now the seventh seed in the AFC and control their own destiny. In fact, it would be hard to envision them not in the playoffs. The Broncos have the second-longest playoff drought streak in the NFL and could be set to snap it in 2024.
For all of the hate that came the Broncos way for this past offseason, they are trending upwards. Paton and the Broncos have also hit on some crucial draft picks like Jonathon Cooper, Pat Surtain II, Quinn Meinerz, and Nik Bonitto.