George Paton

Bio

George Paton, a highly respected 29-year personnel executive with extensive NFL scouting experience across four franchises, enters his fifth season as General Manager of the Denver Broncos after being hired by the club on Jan. 13, 2021.

Reporting to Owner & CEO Greg Penner and working closely with Head Coach Sean Payton, Paton directs all aspects of the Broncos’ player acquisition process with the NFL Draft, free agency, trades and waiver claims. Leading both pro and college scouting for the Broncos, Paton also oversees the football operations departments supporting the personnel and coaching staffs.

Joining the Broncos after spending the previous 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Paton has reshaped Denver’s roster during his four seasons with the club while infusing it with youth and talent to lay a foundation for sustained success. He has aggressively worked to improve the Broncos through all avenues, including through 33 trades during his four years as general manager.

Under Paton, the Broncos have made 19 player-for-pick trades and 13 pick-for-pick trades as well as trading for Payton, acquiring the Super Bowl-winning coach from New Orleans in advance of the 2023 season. In all, Paton’s first four draft classes have yielded 19 players who have started for the Broncos as part of 31 picks combining to appear in 747 career games (360 starts).

Additionally, Paton’s four draft classes have produced four All-Pros (six occurrences), three Pro Bowlers (six occurrences), an Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year (2024) and four PFWA All-Rookies.

Working hand-in-hand with Payton during their second season together in 2024, Paton helped the Broncos to a winning record for the first time in eight years and a return to the postseason for the first time since 2015. Denver finished the season with a 5-2 record in its final seven games and a 6-2 overall record at Empower Field at Mile High, which was the most home wins by the team in nine years.

In 2024, Payton constructed a Broncos roster that sent three starters to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year with cornerback Pat Surtain, returner Marvin Mims Jr. and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto making the trip—all of whom Paton drafted. Denver also had five players acquired by Paton named All-Pro by the Associated Press (Surtain, Mims, Bonitto, defensive lineman Zach Allen and guard Quinn Meinerz), which was the most All-Pros by the team since 1996 (6).

Surtain, whom Paton selected with his first pick as general manager with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, has established himself as one of the NFL’s premiere cornerbacks during his first four NFL seasons. A two-time AP first-team All-Pro (2022, ’24) and three-time Pro Bowl selection (2022-24), Surtain became just the second player in team history and seventh at his position in league annals to be named AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2024.

Paton also selected quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick in 2024, who ended up setting franchise rookie records by completing 376-of-567 passes (66.3%) for 3,775 yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions (93.3 rtg.). His 29 passing scores were the second most by a rookie in NFL history and his performance helped him become a finalist for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Broncos in 2023 had their most Pro Bowl starters (3) in seven years with cornerback Pat Surtain II, returner Marvin Mims Jr. and safety Justin Simmons. Mims Jr., drafted by Paton in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, became only the second Broncos rookie named both an Associated Press All-Pro (2nd team) and Pro Bowler in the same season.

Paton’s first draft with the Broncos in 2021 received national attention for its success, including earning the prestigious Best Draft Award during the 13th annual Inside the League Combine Seminar the following offseason. The Broncos became the fifth team—and second AFC club—to earn that honor since its inception in 2017.

The Broncos’ 2021 NFL Draft class featured six players who would start for the team,
including running back Javonte Williams (second round), who joined Surtain as Pro Football Writers Association All-Rookie selections. Paton’s 2021 draft class also included Meinerz, who has established himself as one of the NFL’s best players at his position and signed a contract extension with the club during the 2024 offseason.

Before being named the Broncos’ general manager, Paton spent 14 seasons (2007-2020) with the Minnesota Vikings that included serving as their Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Player Personnel for his final six years with the team. He worked directly with General Manager Rick Spielman on all salary cap and player acquisition decisions in addition to helping establish the Vikings’ analytics department for the perennial NFC contenders.

Paton earned two formal promotions with the Vikings, receiving titles of Director of Player Personnel (2007-11) and Assistant General Manager (2012-20) before adding the Vice President of Player Personnel role in 2018.

In Paton’s 14 seasons with Minnesota (2007-20), the Vikings made six playoff
appearances—with six different starting quarterbacks—while winning four division titles and advancing to a pair of NFC Championship Games. He played a key role in the Vikings’ acquisition of 22 Pro Bowlers through the NFL Draft (15), college free agency (2), veteran free agency (4) and trade (1) during his time in Minnesota.

No NFL team selected more future Pro Bowlers (13) than the Vikings from 2011-20 with Paton serving in a key personnel role on those teams. Those acquisitions included wide receiver Justin JeTerson (2020), running back Dalvin Cook (2017), defensive end Danielle Hunter (2015), wide receiver Stefon Diggs (2015), linebacker Anthony Barr (2014), cornerback Xavier Rhodes (2013) and safety Harrison Smith (2012).

Of the 15 first round selections by the Vikings during Paton’s involvement with the team (2008-20), four rookies were chosen to the Pro Bowl—including Offensive Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin in 2009—while 14 players became primary starters in their initial seasons. The Vikings made 26 first, second or third-round picks from 2012-2020 with an NFC-best 92.3% of those players still playing in the NFL in 2020.
Paton has also displayed an ability to find impact players such as Cook (2nd round- 2017), linebacker Eric Kendricks (2nd round – 2015), Hunter (3rd round – 2015), wide receiver Adam Thielen (CFA- 2013), tight end Kyle Rudolph (2nd round – 2011) and defensive end Everson Griffen (4th round- 2010) outside of the first round.

Coming off the second-best record in the NFC (50-29-1, .631) from 2015-2019, the Vikings retooled their roster in 2020 and used 15 selections—an NFL record for a seven-round draft. Minnesota’s draft haul included Jefferson, who was the only oTensive rookie Pro Bowler this year after setting the NFL single-season rookie record for receiving yards (1,400). Jefferson was selected 22nd overall and with one of four picks that were acquired from Buffalo in an offseason trade for Diggs.

In the five seasons preceding 2020, Minnesota earned three playoff appearances (2015, ’17 & ’19) and made the 2017 NFC Championship Game. Paton helped build three playoff teams during that span quarterbacked by Bridgewater (2015), Sam Bradford/Case Keenum (2017) and Kirk Cousins (2019).

Following a berth in the NFC Championship and a 13-win season in 2017, Minnesota was aggressive in signing unrestricted free-agent Cousins to a three-year contract. He was named to the Pro Bowl during his second season with the team in 2019 and is the league’s seventh-rated passer (103.6 rtg.) during the last three seasons.

Bridgewater, who was selected with the last pick of the first-round in the 2014 NFL Draft, led the Vikings to the postseason with an NFC North title and an 11-5 regular-season record in 2015. He would suffer a career-threatening knee injury during training camp in 2016, leading to Minnesota’s front office trading for Bradford during training camp.

In 2012, the Vikings made their first of four playoff appearances in the decade behind second-year quarterback Christian Ponder. Paton was also instrumental in the building of back-to-back NFC North Champions in 2008 and ’09 as the Vikings won the second-most games (22) in the NFL during that span.

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, who was signed as a street free agent and chosen to his 11th career Pro Bowl in 2009, led the Vikings to a 12-4 record and a spot in the NFC Championship Game. In 2008, Paton assisted in trading for defensive end Jared Allen, who would go on to make four Pro Bowls with the Vikings. Quarterbacks Gus Frerotte and Tarvaris Jackson split time as starters as the club would win 10 games that season.

Before joining Minnesota, Paton spent six seasons as Director of Pro Personnel with Miami (2001-06) and worked with Head Coach Nick Saban during his final two years with the team. Paton began his NFL career with Chicago in 1997 as a scouting assistant, ascending to Pro Scout from 1998-99 and Assistant Director of Pro Personnel from 2000-01 before joining Spielman in Miami.

A four-year letter winner as a defensive back at UCLA from 1988-91, Paton played
professional football in Italy and Austria. He began his post-playing career as head coach of the sophomore football team at his alma mater Loyola High School in Los Angeles.

Paton, 52, and his wife, Barbara, have two children: Bella and Beau.