Changes are happening around the NFL as the hiring cycle is in full swing. Six of the eight head coach vacancies have been filled, and three of the four general manager/president of football operations vacancies have been occupied.
With only one general manager vacancy remaining, these six candidates are considered to be next in line for the next major front-office role in the league. These candidates were highlighted by the NFL, as their professional experiences and personal stories are exemplary for a general manager hire in the coming future.
If none on this list is hired for the final vacancy in 2024, these names are considered the front runners for a general manager role in 2025.
Jacqueline Davidson
- Current position: Vice president of football research with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Davidson is responsible for supporting the front office and coaching staff in roster and strategy decisions through research and development of analytical tools and methods. She also works on player contracts and salary cap decisions. She coordinated with general manager Jason Licht in helping the Buccaneers bringing back all 22 starters form the Super Bowl championship roster in 2021. The Buccaneers have the National Coaching Academy for inclusion of more minorities in the coaching arena.
Ray Agnew
- Current position: Assistant general manager with the Detroit Lions
A Super Bowl champion as a player with the Rams in 1999, Agnew played 11 seasons in the NFL and was a former first-round pick in 1990. He has been the assistant general manager for the Lions for three seasons, coming over from the Rams with general manager Brad Holmes. He was a member of the Rams scouting staff for 18 seasons, his final job being the assistant director of pro personnel. Agnew assists with all functions of the player personnel department in Detroit.
Ian Cunningham
- Current position: Assistant general manager with the Chicago Bears
The Philadelphia Eagles' director of college scouting when they won Super Bowl LII, Cunningham was promoted to director of player personnel in 2021 before moving over to Chicago in his current role two seasons ago. Cunningham has been at the forefront of analytics, giving teams innovative ways to apply data to decision-making. Cunningham was also an area scout for the Baltimore Ravens, and has prioritized building rosters through the trenches come draft time.
Glenn Cook
- Current position: Assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel with the Cleveland Browns
A former linebacker at the University of Miami, the 38-year-old Cook has been in his current role since Andrew Berry was hired as general manager in 2020. He was assistant director of pro scouting for the Browns from 2016 to 2019, rising up the organization over the last decade despite working under three different general managers.
Brandon Brown
- Current position: Assistant general manager with the New York Giants
The 35-year-old Brown is in his second season as an assistant general manager with the Giants. Prior toward his hiring in New York, Brown was promoted as the Philadelphia Eagles' director of player personnel in 2021. In that role, Brown oversaw the Eagles' pro scouting department and did crossover work on the college scouting side. He was the director of pro scouting in Philadelphia prior to the promotion.
Khai Harley
- Current position: Assistant general manager and vice president of football operations with the New Orleans Saints
Harley has spent 16 seasons with the Saints, with his primary responsibility being contract negotiation and strategic planning/management of the salary cap and roster management. He works in conjunction with the player personnel department, making player acquisitions fit within the salary cap structure. His duties also include contract negotiations, coordinating different areas of football operations, roster management and other administrative functions of running the club.
