Most general managers in the NFL have final roster authority and are often tasked with rebuilding their team. How do all 32 GMs or de-facto GMs stack up with each other? Like players in the league, there are both great and quite awful GMs. To be fair, I'd imagine that building an NFL rsoter is quite hard.
Some GMs make it look truly easy, while you can see just how tough it is in other situations. The 2024 NFL Draft is less than a week away, and all 32 front offices are surely finalizing their boards and gearing up for a draft that could change their team for the better or worse.
Let's rank all 32 GMs or de-facto GMs ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
*Note, some teams have not officially named a General Manager but have an executive acting in that role
NFL Power Rankings: How do all 32 general managers stack up before 2024 draft?
Unranked: Adam Peters - Washington Commanders, Eliot Wolf - New England Patriots, Dan Morgan - Carolina Panthers, Tom Telesco - Las Vegas Raiders, Joe Hortiz - Los Angeles Chargers
It's not fair to rank these five general managers. Eliot Wolf of the New England Patriots does not have the GM title but seems to have all of the GM duties. For a GM to see their vision through, it'll take years, but I do believe that after a full year of being on the job, we can get a good reading on these men as roster-builders.
Both Adam Peters and Dan Morgan have been hyper-aggressive in free agency trying to immediately repair how broken their teams were before they arrived. However, as we all know, Super Bowls are not won in free agency, but rather the NFL Draft. For these newcomers to the GM chair, the 2024 NFL Draft is going to be their first huge test.
NFL Power Rankings: How do all 32 general managers stack up before 2024 draft?
27. Joe Schoen, New York Giants
Maybe I'm too low on Joe Schoen, but I just do not see much of anything here. He made a fireable mistake by paying QB Daniel Jones. There was no reason to pay Saquon Barkley, and he's had some huge draft misses too, notably OT Evan Neal. I just don't understand what the Giants are trying to do, and Schoen can dig himself an even deeper hole if they pass up on a QB with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
26. George Paton, Denver Broncos
George Paton took over a half-decent Denver Broncos roster and really did nothing to improve it. The pass rush, QB position, and defensive line have all regressed of note, and the WR room and RB room aren't appreciably better than when he took over. Someone who probably should have been fired at the beginning of the offseason, Sean Payton seems to be the one with the final roster authority for the Denver Broncos.
25. Ran Carthon, Tennessee Titans
I don't believe Ran Carthon investing as much money as he did into the offense this offseason was done with the right players. While I see what he is trying to do, it almost feels like he operated as if he had to spend the mountain of cap space the Tennessee Titans had. I am out on Ran Carthon until proven otherwise.
24. Mickey Loomis, New Orleans Saints
When is Mickey Loomis going to recognize that he needs to embrace a rebuild? Something that should have happened when Sean Payton left, Loomis has kicked the proverbial financial burden down the road for years now. Signing Derek Carr last offseason was a massive mistake, and I'm not sure the Saints are more than a nine-win team at this point.
23. Trent Baalke, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trent Baalke is always active in the offseason, so you can't fault him for at least trying, right? He doesn't always make the best of moves, as the Jags have been shaky along the offensive and defensive lines for a few years now. Regressing as a team in 2023, the Jags look to build on what they made progress on during their 2022 breakout season.
22. Omar Khan, Pittsburgh Steelers
Not yet having figured out the QB position, GM Omar Khan decided to try Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, which is a room that could look much different in 2025. A good-not-great roster, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Khan still have a good bit of work to do to be seen as a contender in the AFC>
21. John Schneider, Seattle Seahawks
The Geno Smith thing was fun for a year, but now with Pete Carroll out of the picture, John Schneider needs to bring in a new era of Seahawks football, and the move to kick that off was to hire Mike Macdonald as the head coach. Seattle feels like an average football team until they can find the franchsie QB.
20. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Minnesota Vikings
I'm waiting for the reason why some people think Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is this amazing general manager. Many people think him acquiring a second first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is because they're set to trade up for a quarterback, but no one knows as of yet. The roster definitely has some young pieces for the future, but Adofo-Mensah needs to make a move at QB and soon.
19. Monti Ossenfort, Arizona Cardinals
I would not be surprised to see Monti Ossenfort shoot up this ranking by the end of the 2024 NFL Season. One of my breakout teams for this year, the Cardinals didn't win a ton in 2023 but were a frisky team. Ossenfort's 2023 draft class looks quite encouraging and he's got a ton of draft capital do further build on his vision for 2024.
18. Terry Fontenot, Atlanta Falcons
Splurging on QB Kirk Cousins this offseason, the Atlanta Falcons roster is in a pretty good spot, especially if they can beef up their pass rush in the 2024 NFL Draft, but Terry Fontenot will have to at least try to put a long-term plan in at QB. Cousins is set to play in his age-36 season and might not have more than a few viable years left.
17. Jason Licht, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jason Licht may have struck gold with Baker Mayfield, as odd as that sounds. I'm not sure Tampa is going to win much more than they did in 2023 with Mayfield under center, but that does buy him some time to find a long-term answer at QB. Overall, the Bucs could build on their 2023 season, and Licht has done a strong job in recent NFL Drafts.
16. Andrew Berry, Cleveland Browns
The Deshaun Watson fully-guaranteed deal might be the worst contract in all of sports, and that's the one thing that really hurts Andrew Berry as a GM. If Watson can look like his old self, the Browns are going to be a handful to deal with. Heck, they were great for a period with Joe Flacco at QB.
15. Brandon Beane, Buffalo Bills
I don't believe Brandon Beane is a great GM. Him having to really retool this roster all at once with limited young talent tells me he put too many of his eggs in one basket. The Stefon Diggs trade was probably needed, but now it feels like Beane has to start over with Josh Allen, a half-decent offensive line, and some respectable pieces on defense, but this could be a multi-year retooling process.
14. Chris Grier, Miami Dolphins
A fine GM, Chris Grier has been quite aggressive, and it has paid off to an extent. If the Miami Dolphins can figure out how to play in cold weather, they can make a deep playoff run, as their roster is as good as anyone's in the NFL.
13. Joe Douglas, New York Jets
The New York Jets were an embarrassing team in 2023, but it's because they lost their franchise QB. Any team is going to endure some hardship when the QB goes down. To be fair to Douglas, he has done a nice job in the NFL Draft and has really turned this roster around, filling their most urgent needs in free agency this offseason.
12. Chris Ballard, Indianapolis Colts
Chris Ballard may have found something with the duo of Anthony Richardson at QB and Shane Steichen at QB. Ballard has typically been rock-solid in the NFL Draft, but I believe he struggles with positional value at times. However, the Colts seem like they're in a great spot to truly compete in 2024, and Ballard deserves a ton of credit for that.
11. Ryan Poles, Chicago Bears
I was hugely critical of Ryan Poles until I saw what kind of roster he began to build. Now ready to truly compete in 2024, the Chicago Bears are going to be a pretty strong football team even if Caleb Williams is average as a rookie. Trading Justin Fields was the right move as Poles looks to leave his biggest mark with the team when the 2024 NFL Draft begins.
10. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys
People like to bash the Dallas Cowboys, but Jerry Jones and anyone else who works with him in the Cowboys front office have typically done great jobs in the NFL Draft. The Cowboys offseason this year has been quite depressing and quiet, as I believe a bit of a rebuild could be on the horizon for the team after the 2024 season.
9. Brian Gutekunst, Green Bay Packers
Brian Gutekunst is a very good general manager no matter how upset he made Aaron Rodgers when drafting Jordan Love back in 2020. Riding a strong finish to 2023 led by Love himself, the Packers come into the 2024 NFL Draft in a great spot to maximize their young offense with other additions.
8. Duke Tobin, Cincinnati Bengals
Not officially named the General Manager, Duke Tobin handles those duties, and his job got quite a bit easier when Joe Burrow became the solution at QB. Losing him for a good chunk of the 2023 NFL Season was tough, but with Burrow returning and some modest reinforcements on offense, plus the 2024 NFL Draft, Tobin should have his team right back in the thick of things atop the AFC.
7. Les Snead, Los Angeles Rams
Guess what? The Los Angeles Rams actually have a first-round pick this year. Not having one for a huge stretch of time, the Rams are now back in round one and enjoyed a breakout 2023 season, winning 10 games with a roster filled with both young players and savvy veterans. Losing Aaron Donald to retirement is a huge blow, but the Rams seem to be on the right track in their post-Super Bowl rebuild to perhaps make one final run at one with Matthew Stafford.
6. Nick Caserio, Houston Texans
Nick Caserio has done a marvelous job at turning this franchise around from where they were when he took over. Hitting a homerun on CJ Stroud in the 2023 NFL Draft and perhaps Will Anderson Jr, the Texans are my pick to win the Super Bowl this year. Caserio is also operating just how a GM should when he has a stud QB on a rookie contract. Caserio has been aggressive in free agency knowing that he won't have to pay Stroud for another few years.
5. Eric DeCosta, Baltimore Ravens
"EDC" as he is known to some is a very strong executive and like a few other GMs across the NFL, has his teams in a great spot every single season. In what was supposed to be their year, it seems, the Baltimore Ravens again choked in the playoffs. The Ravens did have quite a few players depart in free agency, so we'll see how Eric DeCosta is able to work around that in the 2024 NFL Draft.
4. Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles
His team took a huge step back in 2023, but there might not be a GM in the NFL more obsessed with winning than Howie Roseman, who has made a career out of being a hyper-aggressive roster builder. Cleaning house a bit this offseason, Roseman again seems geared up to make another strong push in 2024.
3. Brad Holmes, Detroit Lions
Brad Holmes took over a desperate franchise in 2021. He's now gotten them to Super Bowl contenders status heading into the 2024 NFL Season. What Holmes has done in free agency and especially in his NFL Drafts is just flat-out insane. He's an excellent GM and has built a roster to sustain success for the long-term.
2. John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers
Likely more of a collaborative effort between Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, the duo has turned San Francisco into a true powerhouse each and every season. Even with their cap crunch this offseason, San Fran has done a nice job at keeping the roster in a similar spot to where it has been in year's past, and just think; they traded a total of three first-round picks to ultimately draft Trey Lance.
Somehow, they were able to work through that, find a gem in Brock Purdy, and look to be on the cusp of winning a Super Bowl in the near future.
1. Brett Veach, Kansas City Chiefs
It's really hard to argue that someone else should be ranked No. 1. Yes, Patrick Mahomes is from a different planet, but teams don't win Super Bowls with just one player, and Brett Veach is the one doing the world to keep the OL strong on offense. He's also found a ton of gems on defense as well and has won three Super Bowls over the last five seasons.