The job of an NFL general manager is highly demanding. The league's 32 lead personnel decision-makers are responsible for taking good care of their respecitve teams' short- and long-term roster interests — every single year.
Not all moves will be winners. Some moves will turn out to be better than expected. Sometimes it's wise to be aggressive about dealing and acquiring players; sometimes it's not.
With free agency and the draft coming with their unique challenges, based on salary-cap room and volume of selections, it takes a good GM to mesh it all together for a successful offseason. The GMs who can do it year after year with consistent winning results are the truly great ones.
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While Sporting News has handed out its NFL Executive of the Year award to many recipients over the years, there's been plenty of evidence that GMs can both rise fast and fall hard. Weighing what they all have done in the recent past while also looking at how they have to build on that in 2020, here's ranking the NFL's current GMs, 1-32:
NFL general manager rankings 2020
1. John Lynch, 49ers
His three-year plan with San Francisco worked brillantly to the tune of a quick NFC championship, starting with Jimmy Garoppolo, continuing with Richard Sherman and culminating with Nick Bosa. Lynch was a smart, hard-hitting player, and as a former Super Bowl winner, his experience in knowing the ideal team makeup shows. This year, Lynch was fast to make key replacements in Trent Williams, Javon Kinlaw and Brandon Aiyuk to keep all the 49ers' strengths as elite contenders intact.
2. Brett Veach, Chiefs
Veach was on the victorious side of the Super Bowl at age 41. Everything toward the ring started with his forward-thinking push to draft Patrick Mahomes. Because of Veach, the Chiefs also brought in the right offensive support pieces for Andy Reid. Defensively, Veach made terrific approrpriate moves in a switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 base to give them a better complementary unit, including Frank Clark and Tyrann Mathieu.
3. Eric DeCosta, Ravens
DeCosta was tasked with replacing the legend of Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore's front office, and he immediately delivered to get a monster Year 2 out of Lamar Jackson by supporting him with Mark Ingram, Marquise Brown and others. DeCosta also made some splashy moves for the defense in 2019 by bringing Earl Thomas and Marcus Peters into the secondary. In 2020, DeCosta added J.K. Dobbins to the running fun, made the Ravens deeper at wideout and also got three new defensive front seven starters in Calais Campbell, Derek Wolfe and Patrick Queen.
4. Bill Belichick, Patriots
Belichick is battling his toughest offseason in a long time with Tom Brady not returning, but his shrewd personnel history is on his side to rise from the challenge. Belichick also has needed to rebuild the defense with linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts not returning. But the reason the Patriots have some hope with Jarrett Stidham is a strong offensive line Belichick built, a deep backfield and a revamped approach at tight end. Belichick also has found more of his type of versatile defenders to support his top secondary with rookies Kyle Dugger, Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche.
5. Mickey Loomis, Saints
The Saints keep marching to first place in the NFC South because Loomis keeps making the right roster tweaks around Sean Payton and Drew Brees. His recent offensive moves of landing Emmanuel Sanders and Cesar Ruiz follow how he is always focused on reloading the receiving corps and maintaining the offensive line pop. Defensively, Loomis turned an awful unit from not too long ago into a solid one with the combination of core stars and system-friendly veterans.
6. Jon Robinson, Titans
Robinson wouldn't have seen his team get to the AFC title game without the foresight to stash Ryan Tannehill at QB and stealing wide receiver A.J. Brown in the draft. The former Belichick disciple works well with another one, Mike Vrabel, to get versatile, dynamic pieces for the defensive front seven. At the same time, Robinson keeps making the necessary tweaks for the offensive line and secondary based on free-agent losses. Few teams can boast the same kind of valuable depth.
7. Howie Roseman, Eagles
Roseman did a great job flipping Philadelphia into a Super Bowl champion during the 2017 season and continues to carry that momentum. The recent drafting of Andre Dillard, Miles Sanders and Jalen Reagor add key pieces around the big new investment in Carson Wentz. Defensively, Roseman got more aggressive on the veteran market this year by bringing in Javon Hargrave up front and Darius Slay for the secondary. Roseman has a good rapport with Doug Pederson and provides steady help to match the Eagles' identtity.
8. Kevin Colbert, Steelers
Colbert has been in his current role with the Steelers for 10 years, and the decade has been defined by defense. Because of him, they consistently have a strong 3-4 edge pass rush, now featuring T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree. He has also made winning secondary moves with Joe Haden, Stephen Nelson and Minkah Fitzpatrick. The offense has had a few personnel bumps in the transition from Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell, but the healthy return of Ben Roethlisberger can help smooth those out.
9. Brandon Beane, Bills
Beane follows Lynch and Veach in being on the job since 2017 and executing a methodical plan. He overhauled the Bills' entire offense around first-round franchise QB Josh Allen. That included the line, more dynamic running backs (Devin Singletary to Zack Moss) and a legitimate wide receiver corps (John Brown, Cole Beasley and Stefon Diggs). Beane also has given Sean McDermott the right fits for Buffalo's defensive scheme and impressive depth there, too.
10. John Schneider, Seahawks
Like Colbert, Schneider has been GM for a consistent winning franchise since 2010, one that's never had a losing season once it stole Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 draft. Schneider caters well to the run-heavy offensive philosophy and meshing weapons with Wilson's big arm. He also is in lockstep with Pete Carroll's long-established defensive identity as Seattle has quietly created a worthy sequel to "The Legion of Boom" behind a productive front seven.
11. Chris Ballard, Colts
Ballard keeps working well with Frank Reich. He was aggressive to find a good short-term QB solution in Philip Rivers and filled a big defensive void with DeForest Buckner. Ballard's other 2020 moves of note came in drafting running back Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. Ballard balances an eye for good draft value and timely trading to address weaknesses. He also is a member of the strong class of '17 with former Chiefs colleague Veach.
12. Jerry Jones, Cowboys
As the only owner who doubles as GM — the league's oldest at 77 — Jones and son Stephen continue to ace the business of the game. There's an impressive amassing of talent around Dak Prescott, who will get his desired deal in the end. Jones is always looking to go after splashy offensive skill players and pay them, too. At the same time, he's shuffled up the defensive front seven nicely. Jones is coming off an extremely strong 2020 draft overall (see CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs). Now he's turning to Mike McCarthy to finally maximiize his team's Super Bowl potential.
13. Rick Spielman, Vikings
File Spielman as another long-time GM (since 2012) who is steady in knowing exactly what his team needs. The splurge on Kirk Cousins started to pay off in 2019 because the Vikings gave him major help with offensive line upgrades and a run-heavy approach with Davlin Cook and Alexander Mattison. The defense also gets reloaded constantly to Mike Zimmer's scheme specifications, with the big change at cornerback being the latest.
14 Thomas Dimitroff, Falcons
Dimitroff also has long tenure, going back to 2008. Still only 53, he has a keen eye of always knowing what the Falcons need replaced or strengthened. Offensively, Dimitroff operates with the high offensive baseline of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, his trade-up coup from the 2011 draft, and finds the right receiving, blocking and running compelements for support. Defense has been more of a roller coaster with hits and misses, but Dante Fowler Jr. and A.J. Terrell made for a good 2020 offseason there.
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15. Brian Gutekunst, Packers
Gutekunst is in his third year after taking over from his mentor, Ted Thompson. Gutekunst had a great 2019, making a slew of defensive moves that included signing both Preston Smith and Za'Darius Smith that powered the team back toward an NFC North title. This year has been a little different, with a shaky future-minded draft for a team ready to win now with Aaron Rodgers. Guteknust still lands in the top half of the league because he's kept up a long-time personnel mentality that works, now adjusted to the philosophies of Matt LaFleur.
16. Jason Licht, Buccaneers
Licht has shown a little promise in the past, but he had been near the bottom because of shaky results for his team. He deserves this big rise, however, with a dream 2020 offseason that brought Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to Tampa Bay. Licht also nailed the draft with Tristan Wirfs, Antoine Winfield and Ke'Shawn Vaughn. That gives his best recent moves — drafting Chris Godwin, signing Shaquil Barrett — a lot more heft. Licht is a strong early candidate to be the next new SN executive of the year.
17. Les Snead, Rams
Snead made his mark in helping Sean McVay get the Rams to the Super Bowl after the 2018 season. Los Angeles went hard after an all-star roster with some big names and contracts to match. There's some of that good personnel residue left, led by cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but because of salary-cap issues, the Rams have quickly trended downward, having to move on from Brandin Cooks, Todd Gurley and Cory Littleton, among others. They have been forced to reshuffle to try to return to contention in the NFC West.
18. John Elway, Broncos
Elway is a hard executive to rank, now five seasons removed from helping his team rediscover the Super Bowl glory he once enjoyed as a Hall of Fame QB. The Broncos haven't been to the playoffs since, with a mess at quarterback, a rebuild of the defense and multiple coaching staffs. The trajectory is going up after hiring Vic Fangio and drafting Drew Lock. Lock is being given a chance to be a long-term franchise QB, now with plenty of help, including Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, Melvin Gordon, Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler.
19. Mike Mayock, Raiders
Mayock has had a nice two-year run with Jon Gruden so far, with drafting being a little more fruitful than free agency because of the Antonio Brown trade fiasco. The results are slowly starting to come on the field. First-rounders Josh Jacobs and Henry Ruggs III highlight the big offensive changes. Defensively, the haul has gone from ends Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby to linebackers Cory Littleton and Nick Kwiatkowski in short order. A year or two and a playoff team to show for it, and Mayock can make a considerable jump.
20. Tom Telesco, Chargers
He completes the run of three consecutive AFC West GMs trying to catch up with Veach. Telesco has been on the job since 2013 and has stockpiled some good talent over the years. The big offensive hit started with Keenan Allen and has gone through Justin Herbert, whom the Chargers hope will be a worthy franchise QB to replace Philip Rivers. Telesco is also trying to keep up the defensive momentum from Joey Bosa and Derwin James with Kenneth Murray. Telesco can climb back up after Los Angeles' results slipped badly in 2020.
21. Bill O’Brien, Texans
O'Brien has had a rough offseason with the departure of DeAndre Hopkins in a questionable deal for David Johnson, on the heels of moving Jadevon Clowney. The Texans also had limited draft capital with which to either improve or maintain their standing as AFC South champions. He's not the best in his GM role in finding value, but he does deserve credit for managing to still coach somewhat well in complete control. Without that second hat and worthy results of late, he would be much lower.
22. Dave Gettleman, Giants
Gettleman was SN executive of the year with the Panthers five years ago. In two years back with the Giants, the results haven't been there yet, but he was charged with a big rebuild and made Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones the key building blocks. The key will be their support coming through under the combination of Joe Judge and Jason Garrett. Defensively, there has been a slower work in progress, hopefully accelerated by the signings of Blake Martinez and James Bradberry.
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23. Steve Keim, Cardinals
After a forgettable 2018 with the drafting of Josh Rose and trouble away from the game, Keim, who won SN executive of the year in 2014, appears to back on track professionally and personally. Kyler Murray is headed to living up to his No. 1 overall status, and Keim has supported him better with keen trades for Kenyan Drake and DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals also were able to lock left tackle D.J. Humphries and draft his bookend, Josh Jones. It's been a little tougher to get it rolling defensively, but getting Isaiah Simmons and Jordan Phillips points the arrow back up there.
24. Andrew Berry, Browns
At 33, the Harvard-educated Berry, given some good previous work with the Colts, Browns and Eagles, has provided an early indication that he's a keeper for Cleveland. Berry is bound to shoot up on this list when the results of quick work are seen soon. The offense has a sudden feel of stablity with tight end Austin Hooper and tackles Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin to upgrade the versatility, efficiency and production. Defensively, the overhaul at safety witih Grant Delpit and Karl Joseph can have a big impact, too.
25. Ryan Pace, Bears
Pace, who won SN executive of the year just last year for the Bears' big turnarond, is now being hurt by the QB mess with Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles, with the former heading to bust status and the latter being a desperate replacement investement. The deal for JImmy Graham is also a big head-scratcher. The big Khalil Mack trade set in motion the defense that pushed the Bears to a division title in 2018, but the key complementary pieces in the back seven have taken a big hit. Pace is a good representation of general managing's fickle nature.
26. Mike Brown, Bengals
Cincinnati's roller-coaster in the front office with Brown and Duke Tobin is headed back up after a run of mediocre drafting and free-agent reluctance. Getting Joe Burrow as a new franchise QB certainly helps. Pairing him with Tee Higgins throws it a little back to 2011, when the A.J. Green-Andy Dalton combinaton ushered in consistent regular-season success. Watch out for 2019 first-round tackle Jonah Williams to pan out, too. Defensively, it was good to see Cincy spend for a change and do so wisely, upgrading with D.J. Reader, Vonn Bell and Trae Waynes.
27. Marty Hurney, Panthers
Hurney's second stint on the job has circled him back to rebuilding, but at least he can do so with Christian McCaffrey, who was a Gettleman draft pick. With Teddy Bridgewater, Robby Anderson and Russell Okung headlining the changes around McCaffrey, there's promise in the post Ron Rivera and Cam Newton reboot. As for a post Luke Kuechly defense, Derrick Brown and Brian Burns are the new foundations. The results may be elusive for a while in a tougher NFC South.
28. Bob Quinn, Lions
Quinn and coach Matt Patricia know the pressure is on to produce results in 2020. Quinn has worked hard at trying to remold the Lions' identity as one based more on the running game and defense. But the returns are questionable as the team still works on bettering its backfield and offensive line while passing remains the strength. Last year, the Lions splurged on Trey Flowers and Justin Coleman for limited returns, and Jamie Collins looks like this year's version of that move for the former Patriots personnel evaulator. The draft has brought some hits, but Quinn needs things to come together better in a hurry now.
29. Chris Grier, Dolphins
Here's yet another GM from the Belichick tree. Grier has been charged with a massive rebuild task with Brian Flores. Lot of Grier's potenital to rise will be based on how well the drafting of Tua Tagovailoa works out. The Dolphins did try to go wholesale with changes on the offensive line and skill positions, but it feels like they didn't get enough splash for their splurge. The Dolphins may have overspent defensively, too, especially in big money at cornerback (Xavien Howard, Byron Jones) for a team not ready to win now.
30. David Caldwell, Jaguars
The Jaguars enjoyed that 10-6 spike in 2017 when Caldwell assembled a loaded defense that got them all the way to the AFC championship game. But since his hiring in 2013, that is Jacksonville's lone winning season, and now it's right back in rebuild mode with the core of that '17 team — Calais Campbell, Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye — all gone. Yannick Ngakuoe and Leonard Fournette will be out the door next. Gardner Minshew might end up being a QB coup, but for now there remain a lot more roster questions than answers.
31. Ron Rivera, Redskins
Rivera gets an incomplete for this list because of his acting de facto extra role of GM. So far he's had the chance to make only one big move, getting elite edge rusher Chase Young at No. 2 overall for Washington's defensive rebuild. Keeping Brandon Scherff and shipping Trent Williams were more no-brainers for the offensive line. The only veteran newcomer of note was returning cornerback Kendall Fuller. As for the offensive skill players, there are a lot of new bodies at running back and wide receiver who need to pan out to help the QB situation.
32. Joe Douglas, Jets
Douglas has been on the job only since last summer, when he was hired after the Adam Gase-Mike Maccagnan rift ended up in the latter's firing. So far, the drafting, with Mekhi Becton for left tackle and Denzel Mims at wide receiver, has been OK, but the free agency has been questionable with more filling holes than actually upgrading them. The defense still looks messy with the edge rush and cornerback, and now foundation safety Jamal Adams is unhappy. Douglas, straight from his success with Roseman's Eagles, has promise, but is likely handcuffed by Gase's personnel whims — see adding Frank Gore behind Le'Veon Bell.
