Being an NFL general manager is not an easy job, and thanks to modern analytics, today’s GMs are more effective and efficient than they ever have been. So here are all of the NFL’s GMs ranked, from worst to first:

No. 32: Mickey Loomis (Saints)

Mickey Loomis has helped the Saints achieve plenty of success in the past, including a Super Bowl win, but his severe mismanagement in the post-Drew Brees era cannot be overlooked. After realizing that the Saints couldn’t win more than nine games without Brees as quarterback, Loomis should have just blown it up and rebuilt, but instead continuously extended aging star players to stay in mediocrity.

This strategy could work if Loomis could effectively find and develop talent through the draft, but the Saints have been subpar at that as well since Sean Payton’s departure. As a result, the Saints will likely have their worst regular season since 2005 and gain the No.1 overall pick in 2026.

No. 31: Joe Schoen (Giants)

Joe Schoen was dealt a bad hand when he joined the Giants as GM in 2022, as he did not draft Daniel Jones or Kadarius Toney. However, he did extend Jones to a 4-year, $160 million deal. Daniel Jones was never worth that amount of money, even in his best career season. That bloated contract led to more problems down the road, as Schoen could have used some of that money to pay Saquon Barkley. That being said, letting Barkley walk in free agency might have helped the Giants in the long term, as their 3-win season gave them the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 draft.

No. 30: Darren Mougey (Jets)

Jets’ GM Darren Mougey was one of five new hires during the 2025 offseason, with his previous experience being an assistant general manager in Denver. Mougey and the Jets were quiet in free agency aside from signing Justin Fields, who may or may not be the long-term answer at quarterback. Mougey did inherit a solid defense, thus he only needs to focus on building a productive offense, and having a true WR1 in Garrett Wilson certainly helps.

No. 29: Dan Morgan (Panthers)

Dan Morgan was hired after the Panthers experienced their 6th straight losing season and their worst regular season since 2001, so there was nowhere to go but up. And while Bryce Young and the Panthers slightly improved in 2024, few of Morgan’s decisions produced that result. During Morgan’s first draft as a GM, he spent the first two rounds surrounding his young quarterback with offensive talent, although Xavier Legette and Jonathan Brooks already look like busts.

The Panthers’ defense was the league’s worst in 2024, and after doing nothing in free agency to improve it, Morgan spent their No. 8 overall pick on a receiver. While the receiver position was also a need for Carolina, it wouldn’t be a distraction from drafting defense if Morgan had picked Ladd McConkey instead of Xavier Leggette in the previous draft.

No. 28: Mike Bargonza (Titans)

The Titans hired Mike Bargonza as their GM only seven months ago, so Bargonza has only gotten one offseason to try to improve this team. Bargonza signed some secondary receivers, such as Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett, to aid rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Bargonza also signed Lorenzo Carter while releasing Chidobe Awuzie and Harold Landry. Bargonza didn’t make any monumental moves in his first offseason as GM, thus we don’t know how effective he is as GM.

No. 27: Chris Grier (Dolphins)

In 2025, the Dolphins will likely have their 7th losing season with Chris Grier at GM, putting Grier’s job on thin ice. In 2019, Grier attempted to blow it all up and rebuild, which made the Fins a playoff contender, but they failed to win a single playoff game.

The famous Tyreek Hill trade did jump-start the offense, but the Dolphins lost a significant amount of draft capital as a result. The Chiefs used those draft picks to build a top-five defense, which dominated the Dolphins in the 2023 Wild Card round. While some factors, such as Tua’s health and Mike McDaniel’s questionable coaching, are beyond Chris Grier’s control, his struggles with drafting in recent years have caused his team to plummet below the .500 mark.

No. 26: John Spytek (Raiders)

Rookie GM John Spytek unfortunately inherits an unforgiving AFC West with three playoff teams. However, Spytek did what he could to build for the future, drafting running back Ashton Jeanty 6th overall and spreading his picks across several different position groups. Running backs drafted within the top ten overall picks often have very successful careers, such as LaDanian Tomlinson, Todd Gurley, Adrian Peterson, Christian McCaffrey, and Bijan Robinson. Jeanty should be a franchise cornerstone for Spytek’s Raiders in the upcoming years.

No. 25: James Gladstone (Jaguars)

James Gladstone was hired in 2025, inheriting a Jaguars’ team that couldn’t sink any lower after winning just four games last season. Gladstone’s background as the Rams’ director of scouting should significantly improve the Jaguars’ drafting, especially in the later rounds, and trading up to draft Travis Hunter might be an example of that.

In free agency, Gladstone signed guard Patrick Mekari and center Robert Hainsey, giving Trevor Lawrence more protection. The Jags’ roster still has plenty of holes, but James Gladstone fixed as many as he possibly could this offseason.

No. 24: Eliot Wolf (Patriots)

2024 was the first season with Eliot Wolf as the Patriots’ GM, and while Jerod Mayo’s head coaching gig didn’t work, the Mike Vrabel signing is a smart decision. Vrabel will improve the Pats’ defense and win countless close games this season like he did with the Titans. Wolf’s additions of Stefon Diggs through free agency and offensive tackle Will Campbell through the draft will significantly upgrade the team’s offense. Eliot Wolf had one of the best 2025 offseasons in the NFL, but only time will tell how much the Patriots progressed.

No. 23: Andrew Berry (Browns)

Andrew Berry’s five-year tenure as Browns’ GM has had a strong start, but quickly declined with numerous bad decisions. The Kevin Stefanski hiring in 2020 was an excellent decision, as Stefanski would win two Coach of the Year awards in four seasons.

A couple of years later, the Stefanski hiring was overshadowed by possibly the worst front office decision in NFL history, as the infamous Deshaun Watson signing gave a quarterback who started 19 games in three years, $250 million guaranteed. The Browns went from a playoff team to a 3-14 record in 2024, and instead of receiving boatloads of draft capital from trading Myles Garrett, Berry signed Garrett to a massive extension, wasting prime years of a Hall of Fame talent so the Browns could win a couple more games.

No. 22: Chris Ballard (Colts)

Through eight seasons and one playoff win as an NFL GM, Chris Ballard has been able to consistently build a team capable of winning 7-10 games and maybe making the playoffs. However, Ballard has struggled to find a solution at quarterback since Andrew Luck’s retirement. The Colts’ rent-a-QB era featured 1-year stints from Jacoby Brissett, Phillip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan. Once the Colts had a record awful enough to draft a QB with a top-ten draft pick in 2022, they chose boom-or-bust prospect Anthony Richardson, who has looked much more like a bust.

No. 21: Terry Fontenot (Falcons)

In four seasons as an NFL GM, Terry Fontenot has zero winning seasons, so on paper, he should be a bottom-five GM. However, Fontenot has fielded solid rosters year after year in Atlanta, but the Falcons can’t seem to put that talent together and record a winning season. Fontenot’s irrational drafting has been very hit-or-miss, with Bijan Robinson and Drake London being worth the gamble, but Kyle Pitts and Desmond Ridder not panning out. The 2025 Falcons with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback might be Fontenot’s last chance to build a contender.

No. 20: Monti Ossenfort (Cardinals)

In his first two years as an NFL GM, Monti Ossenfort has had the privilege of using two top-five draft picks, and yet the Cardinals are still mired in mediocrity. The Cardinals’ situation is not entirely Ossenfort’s fault, however, as he did not sign Kyler Murray to a 5-year, $230 million contract.

However, Ossenfort still has to try to build around Murray, who we don’t even know if he’s the team’s franchise quarterback, even in year seven of his career. The only major move from Ossenfort this offseason is signing linebacker Josh Sweat, who should help the pass rush, but won’t magically turn the Cards defense into a top-five group.

No. 19: Omar Khan (Steelers)

Through three seasons of being GM of the Steelers, Omar Khan has been very effective in building a team that wins slightly more than half of their games every season. Khan has struggled to create a Super Bowl contender in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era primarily due to the lack of an answer at the quarterback position. The Kenny Pickett experiment failed, and Khan hasn’t been able to draft a QB in the first round with the 20th pick.

Signing Russell Wilson in 2024 was worth a try, but he failed to stay consistent during the entire season, leading to an early playoff exit. Khan’s latest installment in the quarterback carousel was signing Aaron Rodgers along with DK Metcalf in the 2025 offseason. However, it’s difficult to see the Steelers snagging a playoff spot in a crowded AFC and Rodgers playing with receivers he doesn’t know very well. If the Rodgers/Metcalf experiment fails, Khan should blow it all up and rebuild.

No. 18: Jerry Jones: (Cowboys)

Jerry Jones is the only NFL owner who is also a general manager, and that is because Jerry Jones cannot handle the idea of someone else calling the shots and executing the GM role better than he can.

While Jones is one of the better drafting GMs, he lacks aggressiveness in free agency. Jones is satisfied with eleven wins every season and a wild-card round loss, without ever signing star players on short-term contracts to create a “win now” Super Bowl team. Even though the Cowboys might never go on a deep playoff run with Jerry Jones as GM, at least they make plenty of revenue.

No. 17: Duke Tobin (Bengals)

Being the GM of the Cincinnati Bengals has its upsides and downsides, because on one hand you have an absurd level of job security, but you also work for a penny-pinching owner who doesn’t give you any money to spend. Duke Tobin is the NFL’s longest tenured GM, holding his position since 1999.

During the 2010s, Tobin built a consistent 9-12 win wild-card team with his limited budget. In the 2020s, Tobin was able to create a legitimate Super Bowl contender which nearly won a Super Bowl, something Bengals fans haven’t experienced since the 80s. However, things have gone downhill for the Bengals since Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins ended their rookie contracts, resulting in Tobin no longer spending money on defense, thanks to his limited budget. Bengals fans can only hope that Tobin’s defensive draft picks pan out in 2025.

No. 16: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Vikings)

Trading up to draft J.J. McCarthy in 2024 was an effective strategy to avoid the Saints’ or Colts’ situation of perpetual mediocrity without a franchise quarterback. And while McCarthy didn’t play in 2025, the roster and coaching staff that Kewsi Adofo-Mensah built were solid enough to make the playoffs.

While Adofo-Mensah’s drafting has been shaky during his GM tenure, hiring Kevin O’Connell as head coach and Brian Flores as defensive coordinator has helped give a 9-8 roster a 14-3 record. And being able to sign Aaron Jones in the 2024 offseason was an opportunity too advantageous to pass up on.

No. 15: Ryan Poles (Bears)

Ryan Poles is easily one of the NFL’s most underrated GMs, since his 2022 hire with the Bears. Poles knows precisely how to rebuild a team, as he traded star linebackers Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith for loads of draft capital. Poles then traded the Bears’ No.1 overall pick in 2023 for D.J. Moore, to give the Bears a true WR1. After the Justin Fields experiment failed, drafting Caleb Williams was a no-brainer, but he also helped the defense with one of the draft’s biggest steals, DB Tyrique Stevenson.

Despite adding more receiver depth with Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, the Bears had a disappointing 2024 season. However, Poles rebuilt the offensive line and made up for his previously bad coaching hires with Ben Johnson, who was easily the most qualified head coach on the market. Ryan Poles has made all the right moves as GM, and the winning will come with time.

No. 14: Joe Hortiz (Chargers)

After the old Brandon Staley/Tom Telesco regime was fired in 2023, the new Jim Harbaugh/Joe Hortiz regime has made a former 7-10 win team capable of dethroning the Chiefs as AFC West champions in 2025. Instead of chasing expensive big-name talent, Hortiz and Harbaugh have focused on solidifying the offensive line and building an elite defense through homegrown talent and lower-profile free agent signings.

Hiring Jesse Minter as defensive coordinator was a massive success, with the Chargers’ scoring defense moving from dead last to first in points allowed. The draft picks of Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey undoubtedly played a role in their 11 wins and a playoff berth in 2024. Joe Hortiz is using the same strategy this offseason, so don’t be surprised if the Chargers are AFC West champions this year.

No. 13: George Paton (Broncos)

After George Paton was hired as the Broncos’ GM in 2021, his first major moves were hiring Nathaniel Hackett as head coach and signing Russell Wilson to a 5-year, $245 million extension. Both of those decisions were massive mistakes, but the Broncos fired Hackett after one season and released Wilson after two.

Paton then hired Sean Payton as head coach who led the Broncos to an unexpected 10-7 season and a playoff berth. In the 2025 offseason, Paton improved an already-dominant defense by signing safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw, and used a first-round pick on corner Jahde Barron.

No. 12: Jason Licht (Buccaneers)

After Jason Licht’s first six seasons as GM were all losing seasons, his job was on extremely thin ice until the Tom Brady signing won the Bucs the Super Bowl, the following year. What people don’t realize is that most of that Super Bowl XV team was homegrown talent drafted by Licht, and they just didn’t have the QB or head coach to put it together.

After Tom Brady’s retirement, the Bucs were supposed to descend back into mediocrity, but Licht somewhat saved the team from that fate. Licht was able to sign Baker Mayfield for pennies on the dollar, and drafted Bucky Irving, Tampa’s first 1,000+ yard rusher since 2015. Despite building a top-five offense, Licht’s failure to draft defense has prevented the Bucs from Super Bowl contention in the post-Brady era.

No. 11: John Lynch (49ers)

After drafting franchise cornerstones George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, and Dre Greenlaw early in his tenure, Lynch has been one of the league’s worst drafting GMs of the last five years.

A once-in-a-decade 7th-round steal in Brock Purdy, and the Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey trades have kept the 49ers in contention, but their substantial loss of talent in 2025 free agency leaves plenty of roster holes to fill. If Lynch picked the right draftees in 2025, the 49ers will be in the playoffs. However, if Lynch misses again in this year’s draft, the 49ers may experience their second straight losing season.

No. 10: Adam Peters (Commanders)

In his first year as an NFL GM, Adam Peters led a previously 4-win team to their first NFC Championship appearance since 1991, thanks to a quarterback he drafted and a head coach he hired. Despite Peters seemingly conducting a miracle for this team, it was only one year, so he can’t be ranked above the league’s more experienced GMs.

Peters has made some beneficial moves in free agency, though, signing offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The Commanders still have some holes on defense, but this roster is of high enough quality to compete for a Super Bowl, which Adam Peters built from just a bunch of draft picks a year ago.

No. 9: Brandon Beane (Bills)

Brandon Beane was very effective in rebuilding the Bills’ after his hire in 2017, leading the Bills to their first AFC Championship appearance in 27 years. Since then, Beane and the Bills have been operating in “win now” mode, and while remaining an AFC juggernaut, their free agent signings and top draft selections have not panned out. Von Miller, Curtis Samuel, and Amari Cooper have all underperformed since coming to Buffalo, and Dalton Kinkaid, Keon Coleman, and Kair Elam haven’t lived up to their first-round hype.

No. 8: Nick Caserio (Texans)

After winning 11 games in three seasons, the Texans realized that a change was needed at the GM position. Change was exactly what the Texans received when hiring Nick Caserio, as Caserio transformed the Texans into a 10-win playoff team seemingly overnight.

Almost every move Caserio makes is a correct one, as the hirings of DeMeco Ryans as HC and Bobby Slowik as OC helped the Texans escape their rut in 2023. Tank Dell was a major steal of the 2023 draft, providing rookie QB C.J. Stroud with more weapons. Acquiring Danielle Hunter in a trade with the Vikings in 2024 propelled their defense into top-10 caliber. And in 2025, Caserio made moves to address the Texans’ offensive line problem that had previously held them back, by signing guard Laken Tomlinson and tackle Aireontae Ersery in the draft.

No. 7: Brian Gutenkunst (Packers)

In 2018, Brian Gutenkunst inherited a Packers’ team that was on the decline, and his drafting of Jaire Alexander and hiring of head coach Matt LaFleur put the team back into Super Bowl contention. Gutenkunst’s most famous decision was the Jordan Love draft pick in 2020, which still may have been the wrong decision despite Jordan Love being a plus starter.

Gutenkunst could have drafted receivers Tee Higgins or Michael Pittman Jr. who could have scored another touchdown in the 2021 NFC championship instead of having to kick a field goal, sending the Packers to the Super Bowl. Instead, their first-round pick was sitting on the bench while they lost the game. Gutenkunst did have a productive 2024 offseason though, with the positive additions of Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney, and the hiring of Jeff Haffley to compensate for Gutenkunst’s failure to draft defense.

No. 6: John Schneider (Seahawks)

John Schneider’s 14-year tenure as the Seahawks’ GM included a Super Bowl win, one of the best draft classes in NFL history, and no season with under seven wins; a pretty solid resume. Schneider’s major moves this offseason were trading DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett while signing Cooper Kupp and Sam Darnold. Darnold should be a serviceable QB for Seattle if the O-line can adequately protect him, which is a big if. Schneider drafted guard Grey Zabel in the first round of the 2025 draft, so at least he’s taking steps to fix one of the roster’s most gaping holes.

No. 5: Eric DeCosta (Ravens)

Eric DeCosta was extremely lucky when beginning his tenure as an NFL GM, as he inherited a team that had made the playoffs in the year prior and had an eventual franchise QB on the roster. DeCosta has never gotten to use a top-ten draft pick, but has still made some impactful draft picks later in the first round over the years. Kyle Hamilton, Tyler Linderbaum, Zay Flowers, and Patrick Queen, to name a few.

In addition to homegrown talent, DeCosta has made some crucial free agent signings such as Derrick Henry and Roquan Smith that paid enormous dividends. It’s difficult to find a truly negative move that DeCosta has made. He spent the 2025 offseason patching up the secondary, the roster’s primary hole, signing defensive backs Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie. Eric DeCosta has worked for the Ravens during the entirety of their franchise, and will continue working for the Ravens for a long time.

No. 4: Brad Holmes (Lions)

Brad Holmes has managed a Lions team experiencing the most successful two-year run since the 1950s, resulting in back-to-back executive of the year honors. Holmes has amassed an absurd amount of talent from the draft during his tenure, with such homegrown stars as Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Kerby Joseph, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch. No NFL team has drafted better than the Lions in the past five years, which Brad Holmes has played a heavy hand in.

No. 3: Brett Veach (Chiefs)

One of Brett Veach’s first moves as an NFL GM was drafting Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 draft, which worked out quite well. Veach already inherited a dominant defense, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill, and he gave the team a franchise quarterback. Five years later, Veach essentially rebuilt the entire defense by trading Tyreek Hill, and he let the coaching staff and coordinators do the rest, winning Super Bowl 57.

However, Veach has still struggled to find a true No.1 wideout to replace Hill, as Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy didn’t outperform their late first-round and second-round selections. Acquiring Pro Bowl talents at any position is twice as difficult when you draft in the bottom five every year and have very little cap space.

No. 2: Les Snead (Rams)

After the Rams hired Les Snead as GM in 2012, the team was still below average, but Snead began planting the seeds for an eventual Super Bowl contender. Snead drafted Todd Gurley, Jared Goff, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald, who eventually led the Rams to a Super Bowl appearance and a consistent playoff team. Snead going “all in” in 2021 gave the Rams their first Super Bowl win in Los Angeles, as the short-term signings of Matthew Stafford, Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey, and Odell Beckham Jr. built a Super Bowl-caliber team for one season.

Snead had supposedly sold away the Rams’ future, and yet led the Rams to back-to-back playoff appearances without having a first-round pick. Late-round gold mines such as Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua helped the Rams retain their offensive explosiveness of the late 2010s. Snead is an exceptionally adaptable GM, and he’ll remain an NFL GM for a very long time.

No. 1: Howie Roseman (Eagles)

Ever since Howie Roseman was hired as the Eagles’ GM in 2010, he has rebuilt this team from nothing but draft picks to a Super Bowl champion multiple times. More recently, Roseman had an exceptional 2024 offseason, rebuilding the defense by drafting defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, and restoring the offense to elite caliber by signing Saquon Barkley. Many snake-bitten franchises in the NFL would do anything to have Howie Roseman as their GM.