The Leading Authority of the NFL Draft

The NFL Draft Bible ranks the NFL’s top decision makers from No. 1 to 32.

1. Bill Polian (IND): Never wastes draft picks and doesn’t overspend in free agency. The gold standard among general managers.

2. Jerry Reese (NYG): No longer Ernie Accorsi’s sidekick, Reese drafts players who fit his system and has a keen eye for up-and coming talent in free agency.

3. Bill Belichick (NE): Does a tremendous job of replenishing the roster with youth in areas affected by age and/or decline in performance.

4. Kevin Colbert (PITT): The low-key Colbert continually brings in talent that can be molded to fit the team’s schemes. His picks may not wow you at first sight, but they usually end up being productive pieces down the road.

5. Ozzie Newsome (BAL): Gets an “A” for trading up for Joe Flacco after failed attempts to do the same in exchange for the opportunity to select Matt Ryan. Always shores up the trenches and brings in tough players on defense.

6. Ted Thompson (GB): The words “cagey” and “methodical” come to mind here. Thompson was masterful at making sure Brett Favre didn’t end up in Minnesota. He also gets credit for bringing in Aaron Rodgers, Greg Jennings and Aaron Kampman at value rates and for acquiring solid players off the scrap heap in free agency.

7. A.J. Smith (SD): Hasn’t been as sharp in the past two drafts, but has shown a knack for unearthing mid to late-round gems in the past.

8. Scott Pioli (KC): Played a big role in helping build three Super Bowl teams alongside Bill Belichick. Pioli hasn’t wasted any time in upgrading the quarterback position and weeding out unproductive players.

9. Bill Parcells (MIA): Has done an excellent job of beefing up Miami with bigger and more physical players. His current version of the Dolphins in no way resembles the hapless and fading 2007 squad.

10. Mickey Loomis (NO): Came into a bad situation seven years ago and traded away underperforming and injury-prone talent. Doesn’t panic by making crazy moves. Has an eye for prime talent in the late rounds.

11. Marty Hurney (CAR): He’s a facilitator, administrator and consensus builder, who’s well-organized. More importantly, he’s managed to stock Carolina with enough components to contend more times than not. 

12. Tom Heckert (PHI):  While Heckert takes a back seat to Andy Reid when it comes to having the final say on personnel decisions, he’s a well-respected talent evaluator. He’s particularly adept at uncovering rookie free agents.

13. Mike Reinfeldt (TEN): Doesn’t overpay for free agents and does well at finding athletic players that can produce at the NFL level.

14. Rod Graves (AZ.): He’s looking better every year. Graves has built Arizona up from nothing with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Darnell Dockett, etc. He has, however, shown a tendency to reach for “need” picks in the past (i.e. Alan Branch, Buster Davis, etc.)

15. Thomas Dimitroff (ATL): Has given a team in disarray a solid foundation by drafting a franchise quarterback, solidifying an awful offensive line and acquiring a star running back in free agency. He must now address numerous defections that have taken place on defense.

16. Mike Tannenbaum (NYJ): Mr. T has shown the willingness to roll the dice on impact free agents, but he too often squanders much-needed draft picks by trading up. The 2009 season could very well be a make-or-break year for Tannenbaum.

17. Rick Speilman (MIN): Has improved since his days in Miami, where he pulled off the all-time stinker of trading a second-round pick for A.J. Feeley.

18. Rick Smith (HOU): Gets kudos for drafting Steve Slaton in the third round, but has been more miss than hit on recent draft choices. He also has a tendency of signing washed-up veterans, such as Ahman Green, Chris Brown and Jamar Fletcher.

19. Jerry Angelo (CHI): Has yet to find a quarterback and has re-signed veterans that haven’t lived up to their billing (i.e. Adewale Ogunleye). Angelo has take the blame for his failures and quit pointing fingers.

20. Tom Modrak (BUF): A longtime scout who can find late-round steals, he must stop wasting big money on so-so veterans (Derrick Dockery) and bring in more guys like Marcus Stroud.

21. Scot McCloughan (SF): A natural leader and decent talent evaluator. His choice of free-agent acquisitions,  however, have been poor.

22. George Kokonis (CLE): Has a solid background as Ozzie Newsome’s right-hand man in Baltimore and knows NFL personnel inside and out. Kokonis did well in recovering a second and fifth-round pick in the Kellen Winslow, Jr. deal.

23. Bill Devaney (STL): Is off to a good start, focusing on building a good defense and shoring up the offensive line by signing center Jason Brown from Baltimore.

24. Jerry Jones (DAL): A high-profile buffoon who often overlooks character, both in the draft and in free agency. Many of his best picks were made with the Tuna at his side.

25. Tim Ruskell (SEA): Ruskell has done nothing to refurnish a crumbling offensive line or to bring in a worthy replacement for Shaun Alexander. He’s also made some disastrous draft picks at the defensive-line positions and in the secondary.

26. Bob Xanders (DEN): A hard worker who slowly climbed his way to the top, Xanders has wasted no time in rebuilding last year’s pathetic defense.

27. Martin Mayhew (DET): He says that he’s learned from some of the mistakes that were made during the Matt Millen era. Mayhew is a straight shooter, who’ll be more hands-on than Millen. He can’t be any worse than the former linebacker…can he?

28. Mark Dominick (TB): Dominick is a salary-cap guru who has already purged the team of several veterans. Let’s see if he spends his money wisely.

29. Gene Smith (JAX): Has been given the autonomy to cut players, but is perceived by some to be too much of a nice guy. His lone free agent acquisition of Sean Considine is a questionable move, but let’s give Smith some more time.

30. Mike Brown (CIN): A GM in name only. Brown is responsible for Cincinnati’s inadequate resources in the personnel department. This lack of manpower has led to the drafting of bad apples with shady backgrounds.

31. Vinny Cerrato (WASH): Insisted on fortifying the passing game last year and totally ignored adding any kind of depth to the offensive line. Cerrato is infamous for trading away draft picks and squandering Daniel Snyder’s money on free agents.

32. Al Davis (OAK): Always drafts speed and athleticism at the expense of on-field production. Davis is even worse at acquiring free agents by overpaying mediocre, washed-up, and injury-prone talent.