Top Five NFL General Managers for 2024

As NFL fans, we often rank players relative to their peers, whether it’s by position or team. However, fans rarely consider each team’s general managers and how they impact a player’s environment and situation. In this article, I’ll discuss the top five general managers in football.

1. Brett Veach, Kansas City Chiefs

Veach started out as a young scout with the Chiefs after a brief coaching stint with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2017, Veach made a name for himself in the industry through player evaluations and team building. In the 2017 draft, the Chiefs were coming off a 10-6 season with former first-round draftee Alex Smith, so drafting a quarterback in the first round was not popular. Nevertheless, Veach was determined that the Chiefs would consider Mahomes out of Texas Tech. Veach convinced the staff of Mahomes’ potential, and the Chiefs eventually traded up from 27th to 10th to select him. We all know how well Veach’s intuition worked. However, Veach’s success as a manager is evident not only in the selection of Mahomes. Veach has made some good moves and choices, such as trading Tyreek Hill for five picks and still winning Super Bowls without him. Veach and his staff have also added key pieces on the defensive end with guys like Trent McDuffie, George Karlafits, Nic Bolton and many more. As a result, Veach has established himself as the best general manager in football as he continues to build one of the best rosters in football and bring championships to Kansas City each year.

2. Eric DeCosta, Baltimore Ravens

Ravens longtime general manager and NFL Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome retired in 2019, handing the reins to Eric DeCosta. Many wondered if this change would lead to a regression for the team or what the Ravens would look like, but DeCosta has put those concerns to rest. DeCosta has overseen four 10-plus win seasons, two first-round seeds and an appearance in the 2023-24 AFC Championship Game. Of course, the next step for the team is the Lombardi Trophy, but his resume speaks for itself. DeCosta is a fantastic evaluator; every year, the Ravens excel in the draft, which leads to a competitive roster year after year. Players like Zay Flowers, Kyle Hamilton, Odafe Oweh and Tyler Linderbaum have been great first-round picks. Additionally, DeCosta selected DT Justin Madubuike in the third round of the 2020 draft out of Texas A&M, who recently made a huge deal as one of the best interior defenders in football. DeCosta also makes smart, budget-friendly acquisitions that may not carry the most name recognition but consistently pay dividends, as seen with Nelson Agholor, Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney, all of whom excelled as Ravens.

3. John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers

We all know how good Lynch was as a player, but he was just as impressive in personnel. Lynch consistently assembles some of the best rosters in football, with offensive talents like Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel and defensive stars like Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. Lynch has also been active on the trade market, securing stars like Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams via trade. Brock Purdy, who Lynch selected with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has also proven to be a solid starter. Overall, Lynch has proven to be a great team builder and evaluator, which has ultimately led to the 49ers becoming one of the best teams in football. So much so that the 49ers have reached the Super Bowl twice in the last four years. Lynch has made the 49ers the team to beat since taking the job in 2017 and was named 2019 Executive of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America after the 49ers’ 13-3 season.

4. Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles

Roseman has recently drafted several notable players, including DeVonta Smith, Jalen Carter, Josh Sweat, Jalen Hurts, Dallas Goedert and Jordan Mailata. That’s without mentioning franchise cornerstones Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson and Fletcher Cox, who highlight Roseman’s impressive ability to find players who can maintain their skills over the course of long careers. Roseman has also added talent via trades, most notably bringing forward AJ Brown, who has emerged as one of the league’s best receivers, to Philadelphia. A two-time NFL Executive of the Year, Roseman led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl ring in 2017 and an appearance in 2023. The Eagles have also earned playoff trips in five of the last six seasons and won three NFC East championships (2017, ’19, ’22).

5. Les Snead, Los Angeles Rams

Snead has a clear philosophy when it comes to team building: He wants the best players possible on his team, even if it means giving up a lot of draft capital. And to his credit, it’s worked. The Rams were crowned champions in 2022 and appeared in the Super Bowl in 2018. Snead has drafted talent like Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner, Jared Goff and Todd Gurley. Snead also has an eye for acquiring talent from other teams. Snead traded for star quarterback Matthew Stafford, who eventually led the team to a Super Bowl, and has also signed and traded for guys like Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller. Snead has a keen eye for team building and building rosters that fit the Rams’ scheme on both sides of the ball.