The evaluation process of pro football players for the NFL has become more involved, and widespread changes have been added with the advent of veteran free agency and a limited NFL Draft each spring.

No position in sports is more scrutinized on an annual basis than the NFL front offices that look to change a club's fortunes in a short time by using the draft and the free-agency process. Clubs spend millions of dollars annually in the scouting process that follows players through their college careers and continues through their pro careers.

Most NFL clubs have expanded their scouting staffs, breaking down the unit into college and NFL divisions with the increased evaluation process. The combination of the two-player pools have allowed NFL clubs to quickly rebuild, giving parity a new meaning over recent seasons. Non-contending teams have been able turn things around within two seasons and challenge for the NFL title.

Clubs like the Vikings, Falcons, Titans and Rams have gone from also-rans to Super bowl contenders and champions in two short years. Through astute scouting, salary cap management and decision-making, these clubs have used these vehicles to rise to the top of the NFL. The following rates the best NFL front offices over the past five years.

The Rams carry the highest ranking after an amazing rise to the top during the '99 season. Their recent acquisitions have them in the running for a repeat performance this season.

St. Louis Rams

The brilliant trade for Marshall Faulk and fine drafting helped turn the Rams into champions.(AP)

The Rams have built an offensive powerhouse behind outstanding recent draft classes, free-agent additions and one major trade. General manager Charley Armey has orchestrated the moves, including the blockbuster deal that brought star running back Marshall Faulk. He stole Faulk for a No. 2 and a late-round draft pick, and Faulk's addition has made the Rams the most potent and balanced offense in the league. Armey signed quarterback Kurt Warner as a free agent after an Arena League career; Warner went on to win both the NFL and Super Bowl MVP awards last season. The Rams' recent draft classes have produced offensive tackle Orlando Pace, defensive ends Grant Wistrom and Kevin Carter, and wide receiver Torry Holt, all top performers for each side of the ball. The Rams missed on former No. 1 pick Lawrence Phillips, who failed with several clubs since his release in St. Louis. They have also made astute free-agent additions such as guard Adam Timmerman and linebacker Mike Jones, who have solidified both units.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans have risen to the top of the NFL on consistently strong draft classes that have supplied both sides of the ball with new talent. General manager Floyd Reese has received little national exposure, but has been one of the best evaluators of talent in the league over the past decade. His prime picks have built a Super Bowl-caliber club that has furnished the Titans with impact players -- quarterback Steve McNair, running back Eddie George and defensive ends Jevon Kearse and Kenny Holmes -- at the key positions. They have re-signed most of their own free agents while adding a key impact defender in Randall Godfrey last offseason. They have rebuilt their front four through prime draft choices, and their secondary has been built through early to middle-round selections. The jury is still out on wideout Kevin Dyson, who the Titans selected over Randy Moss three years ago.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have done a fine job over the past five seasons. They have earmarked the right blue-chip players for their needs and system. Under the direction of player personnel director Ozzie Newsome and director of college scouting Phil Savage, the Ravens have built one of the best defenses in the game around three No. 1 picks during the past five years -- linebacker Peter Boulware, and cornerbacks Duane Stark and Chris McAllister. They retained all their valuable players in free agency, and the core is a young group that has been given a chance to grow together. They have made wise free-agent additions annually without sacrificing their future salary cap. Scout Eric DeCosta is one of the best evaluators of talent in the NFL. They look to last spring's two No. 1 picks, runner Jamal Lewis and wideout Travis Taylor to bring their offense up to championship caliber.

Indianapolis Colts

Edgerrin James is one example of superior drafting by the Colts.(Allsport)

General manager Bill Polian and director of football operations Dom Anile have built playoff contenders in both Buffalo and Carolina. This savvy pair has earmarked the right player for their system at key positions. The selections of quarterback Peyton Manning and running back Edgerrin James are two prime examples of players who have pushed them to the top of the AFC East. Their top picks have been primarily on the offensive side of the ball (Manning, James, receiver Marvin Harrison and tackle Tarik Glenn) except this past spring. They will focus primarily on defense in coming drafts in hopes of bringing their defense up to the high standards of their explosive offense. The addition of linebackers Mike Peterson, Rob Morris and Marcus Washington is the beginning of a good defensive unit. Late picks have been unproductive except for punter Hunter Smith.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have built their club on a fine job of selecting fallen stars in the NFL Draft such as quarterback Daunte Culpepper, receiver randy Moss and linebacker Dwayne Rudd. Moss might be the NFL's best player, and is so dangerous he forces opponents to double-team him in most situations. Rudd is a fine playmaker on defense and was excellent value late in the first round. Culpepper is a fine athlete and the Vikings' current and future leader, and an excellent value in the middle of the first round in 1999. Their biggest busts have been defensive ends Derrick Alexander, Duane Clemons and Dimitrius Underwood, all former No. 1 picks no longer with the club. They have hit on some late round picks such as center Matt Birk (5th), cornerback Robert Tate (6th), cornerback Kenny Wright (4th), defensive tackle Tony Williams (5th) and receiver Matthew Hatchette (7th), all of whom either start or play significant roles.

New York Giants

The Giants have selected good value with their recent top picks, running back Ron Dayne, receiver Ike Hilliard, safety Shaun Williams and tackle Luke Petitgout, all of whom started by the 2000 season. They have also landed excellent selections in the second round with running back Tiki Barber, defensive end Michael Strahan, cornerback Jason Sehorn and rookie defensive lineman Cornelius Griffin. They have done a good job in the late rounds with players such as safety Sam Garnes in the fifth round in '97. General manager Ernie Accorsi rolled the dice with quarterback Kerry Collins and has come up aces on a player who has given the Giants offense their best signal-caller since Phil Simms. The addition of veteran offensive line free agents Lomas Brown and Glenn Parker have stabilized a line that has the Giants challenging for the NFC East title.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs have built a strong contender almost solely on the merits of their fine drafting by their smart scouting staff. They did make a major trade last spring that landed them wideout Keyshawn Johnson for two No. 1 picks. They hope his presence takes them the final steps to a championship. They have landed solid top picks over the past five years that have them in a position to contend every season in the NFC Central. The selections of running back Warrick Dunn, defensive tackles Warren Sapp and Anthony McFarland, fullback Mike Alstott, receiver Jacquez Green and quarterback Shaun King have given them a young core group to contend in the tough NFC Central division. Two top picks have developed slowly, defensive tackle Marcus Jones and receiver Reidel Anthony, but both players have come on this season and appear to have turned the corner. They busted on former No. 1 pick Regan Upshaw, a defensive end who is currently with the Raiders.

Oakland Raiders

Darrell Russell (right) has been a force for the shrewd-drafting Raiders.(Allsport)

The Raiders have been one of the more unorthodox clubs in adding player personnel, whether through the NFL Draft or free agency. Their recent drafts have been better, though they still reach for players they feel fit into their system. They have had mixed reviews on players selected in the first round over the past few seasons. Defensive tackle Darrell Russell and cornerback Charles Woodson, however, are two of the premier defensive players in the league and performers the Raiders will build a tough defense around over the next decade. Players such as tackles Mo Collins and Matt Stinchcomb, and kicker Sebastian Janikowski are No. 1 picks still with serious question marks attached. Former No. 1 tight end Rickey Dudley has been a bust, though he shows talent at times. In free agency, they continue to get mileage from retreads such as quarterback Rich Gannon and running back Tyrone Wheatley, who have resurrected their careers on the West Coast.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills have been consistently sound in drafting talent. Under the direction of general manager John Butler and player personnel director Dwight Adams, the Bills have earmarked a blue-chip athlete to a high-need area with regularity. They have invested in few free agents over the years with little salary cap room to add high-priced veterans. In the draft, they have hit on receiver Eric Moulds, cornerback Antoine Winfield and linebacker Sam Cowart, all of whom have flashed Pro Bowl ability. The jury is still out on running back Antowain Smith and defensive ends Erik Flowers and Marcellus Wiley, all recent top two selections. But the Bills do a good job on middle- to late-round picks such as runners Jon Linton and Sammie Morris, linebacker Keith Newman and tackle Marcus Spriggs.

New York Jets

The Jets had a bumper crop of prospects in the NFL Draft 2000, and it appears that they have hit on all four of their No. 1 picks, though it is still early for a final grade. They have hit on former No. 1 pick Keyshawn Johnson, and top pick James Farrior, a linebacker, is finally producing as a starter on the outside. They have hit on later-round picks such as tackle Jason Fabini (4th), cornerback Marcus Coleman (5th) and defensive tackle Jason Ferguson (7th), all of whom are solid starters with a nice upside in their careers. They have chased pass rushers and safeties in recent drafts with little success, and will most likely continue to pursue those positions in the coming off-season.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins hope last year's top picks, linebacker LaVar Arrington and tackle Chris Samuels, become cornerstone performers on each side of the ball. They have had fine results from recent premium picks; cornerback Champ Bailey and OT Jon Jansen who have stabilized trouble areas. Former No. 1 pick Kenard Lang, a defensive end, has been a steady performer. Tight end Stephen Alexander, a No. 2 pick, is beginning to be a big factor in their passing game. Former No. 1 pick OT Andre Johnson was a colossal bust and cut. Middle-round gems such as running back Stephen Davis, linebacker Shawn Barber and receiver Albert Connell have been top performers from the second day of the NFL Draft.

Kansas City Chiefs

Tony Gonzalez is one draft gem who has helped keep the Chiefs competetive.(Allsport)

Chiefs GM Carl Peterson has made consistently strong selections with the team's premium pick, including offensive linemen Victor Riley and John Tait, tight end Tony Gonzalez and safety Jerome Woods in recent drafts. They have helped revitalize a struggling offense from the mid-90s into a balanced unit that can strike from anywhere. Rookie top pick Sylvester Morris has made an impact this season as a receiver in a passing game that shows signs of becoming one of the better units in the league. Linebacker Donnie Edwards has been one of their few middle-round gems who is playing at a Pro-Bowl level. Weak middle- and late-round picks have kept this club from ranking in the top 10.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers had an outstanding draft class this past spring under the direction of player personnel director Terry Donahue. This class will be a cornerstone group of the 49ers revamped defense, which is currently the youngest in the NFL. It might take a few more seasons before they convert their talent into victories, however. Rookie linebacker Julian Peterson, cornerback Ahmed Plummer and defensive end John Engelberger will form the nucleus on the 49ers future defense. The 49ers have become a non-entity in the free-agent market because of a huge salary cap that has exceeded the salary limits each off-season despite increasing annually. With accelerated contracts again this offseason, they will once again have to rely solely on the NFL Draft to rebuild into a contender. They will also most likely lose two draft picks due to salary cap infractions during the late '90s. Poor top draft picks in the late '90s such as quarterback Jim Druckenmiller and cornerback R.W. McQuarters hurt their turnaround; both players were released outright after a few frustrating seasons.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos missed an opportunity the past two springs to separate themselves from the pack when they had multiple picks in the top 100 selections in each of the past two drafts. They missed on many of those picks with several key need areas open on both sides of the ball. They have made solid selections in recent seasons with linebackers John Mobley and Al Wilson, and defensive tackle Trevor Pryce all performing well on their young defense. They have hit major home runs on late-round running backs Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary and rookie Mike Anderson. They landed their QB for the future in the third round in '98 when they selected Brian Griese. They busted out on former top pick, wideout Marcus Nash, who failed to win a roster spot after a few seasons.

Philadelphia Eagles

Director of football operations Tom Modrak has done a fine job in two years with the Eagles. He resisted the temptation of drafting runner Ricky Williams and landed quarterback Donovan McNabb, who might wind up the best of the talented '99 QB draft class. Modrak's initial draft class has produced seven starters in Philly; McNabb and linebacker Barry Gardner have had the biggest impact. This past spring's draft produced defensive tackle Corey Simon, who has given the front four a boost in run defense, displaying power and quickness from the inside. They landed Pro Bowl-type performers such as runner Duce Staley (3rd), safety Brian Dawkins (2nd) and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter (3rd) who have become the core of the young nucleus being built in Philly. They reached for defensive end Jon Harris in the first round of the '97 draft, and he failed to survive past two seasons with the Eagles.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins have rebuilt their defense almost solely from the draft. Their front four might be the deepest in the league, and they selected defensive linemen Daryl Gardener, Jason Taylor and Tim Bowens with early round picks. They also selected both their talented corners, Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain, in the second round in recent years. They scored on linebackers Zach Thomas and Derrick Rodgers with middle-round picks, and they have become the backbone of their tough defense. They have been busted almost exclusively on offensive picks that included receiver Yatil Green and running back John Avery. Jimmy Johnson tarnished his reputation for drafting excellence despite numerous selections almost annually during his reign. Although he rebuilt Miami's struggling defense, he left the offense with few playmakers, a weak offensive line and no quarterback for the future.

Coyle, a full-time NFL scout, has published Draft Insiders' Digest, an NFL Draft and free agency publication for the last 10 years.

He attends practices, games and individual workouts across the country as well as breaking down game films to study the nation's top players. He writes for numerous pro weeklies on the NFL Draft and free agency in addition to game matchups and player profiles.

Coyle attends NFL minicamps in May and June and numerous training camps throughout the summer. He is a frequent guest on sports talk shows from coast-to-coast, and has also been a personnel consultant to several NFL teams in recent years.