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Who are the Top 5 NFL General Managers entering the 2019 season?

By Nicholas Perlich

ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 4: Head Coach Bill Belichick of the Super Bowl LIII Champion New England Patriots is interviewed at a press conference on February 4, 2019 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 4: Head Coach Bill Belichick of the Super Bowl LIII Champion New England Patriots is interviewed at a press conference on February 4, 2019 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: General Manager Les Snead of the Los Angeles Rams watches warm-ups prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 09: General Manager Les Snead of the Los Angeles Rams watches warm-ups prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

4. Les Snead, Los Angeles Rams

Just a few years ago, it would have been crazy to think Les Snead would be on a list like this, let alone ranked this high. Despite being hired in 2012, Snead didn’t experience a winning season until 2017. It’s starting to look like that was mostly due to the coach as the franchise has been taken to new heights since hiring Sean McVay in 2017.

Snead has had mostly solid drafts throughout his tenure with some stars coming from a few of his selections. Some of those draft picks include Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins, Aaron Donald, Lamarcus Joyner, Todd Gurley, Rob Havenstein, Jared Goff, Cooper Kupp, John Johnson, and Samson Ekubam. Taylor Rapp, Darrell Henderson, David Long, and Greg Gaines are rookies who could have an impact in 2019.

Snead has only recently started dipping his toe into free agency to fill out the roster. It started in 2017 when he signed starters John Sullivan, Andrew Whitworth, and Robert Woods. He then signed Ndamukong Suh and Sam Shields in 2018. And this offseason he added Clay Matthews, Blake Bortles, and Eric Weddle who figure to fill key holes in 2019. Snead has also orchestrated some key trades in recent years when he acquired Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, and Brandin Cooks.

The key to Snead’s success, however, has been the hiring of McVay, who has helped truly unlock the potential of the roster in a very short time since his hiring. And make no mistake, the roster Snead has built is made to win now.

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