2024 NFL Draft: 3 General Managers under intense pressure to have a strong draft
The 2024 NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and beyond the players themselves, there are some front offices under a ton of pressure to have a strong draft. There are some GMs across in the NFL that have absolutely zero pressure to perform in a big way this year. However, there are also some GMs whose seats are getting very warm.
Sure, no GM wants to approach an NFL Draft as if they don't have to perform well, but it's a simple fact that some are under a ton of pressure for this year's draft, where QBs figure to go in the top four picks. The depth at wide receiver and offensive tackle should also prompt offensive-needy teams to make some moves.
Well, for many teams, the buck stops with the GM, and they are the ones who ultimately make the final roster moves. Which three GMs are under the most pressure entering the 2024 NFL Draft?
2024 NFL Draft: 3 General Managers under intense pressure to have a strong draft
1. Joe Schoen, New York Giants
I've got to be honest here; Joe Schoen has been a disaster of a General Manager thus far, and I think he gets a boost as a strong GM simply because he spent time in Buffalo working with Bills GM Brandon Beane. Schoen inexcusably paid both Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley and has swung and missed on a few high-profile players during his tenure as Giants GM.
There's just not a lot for Schoen to hang his hat on as the roster-builder in New York, and the Giants do need to draft a franchise QB. Will Schoen be aggressive enough to land one, or will he sit on his hands and hope the board falls to him?
2. Joe Douglas, New York Jets
Joe Douglas and the New York Jets sold-out for Aaron Rodgers; let's just tell it how it is. Rodgers tore his Achilles just a handful of plays into the 2023 NFL Season, and when Rodgers went down, the true flaws of the Jets became apparent. The offensive line was among the worst and most injured in the NFL, and the wide receiver room was missing another body.
Well, to Douglas' credit, he signed Tyron Smith and Johnson Simpson, traded for Morgan Moses, and signed Mike Williams, so he did get to work in filling the most urgent needs. However there are still multiple long-term and immediate needs on the roster, and with no second-round pick, Douglas must approach the 2024 NFL Draft strategically to get his team shored up for this year and to provide promise for the future.
3. George Paton/Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Sean Payton is the one who makes the final decisions on the roster, but that doesn't mean GM George Paton doesn't have a huge hand in the decisions. The most urgent need of any team in the NFL, arguably, is the Denver Broncos needing a franchise QB. Paton himself has made two disastrous, firable decisions in trading for Russell Wilson and hiring Nathaniel Hackett.
It's a miracle he still has a job, but you have to figure that the 2024 NFL Draft might be his last chance to leave a positive mark on the Broncos. If Denver cannot show some form of progress with a rookie QB in 2024, it's hard to envision Sean Payton continuing his working relationship with George Paton.