George Paton

Paton (pronounced: Peyton) has a wealth of NFL experience overseeing year-round personnel transactions while coordinating both college and pro scouting efforts. He joins the Broncos after most recently serving as Minnesota's Vice President of Player Personnel/Assistant General Manager, a position he has held since 2018.

Spending the last 14 seasons with the Vikings, Paton has worked directly with General Manager Rick Spielman on all salary cap and player acquisition decisions in addition to helping establish the team's analytics department. He earned two formal promotions with the team, holding titles of Director of Player Personnel (2007-11) and Assistant General Manager (2012-20) before adding the VP of Player Personnel role in 2018.

Prior to joining Minnesota, Paton spent six seasons as Director of Pro Personnel with Miami (2001-06). During his final two years with the Dolphins, he worked with Head Coach Nick Saban.

Paton started 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.

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 draft (15), college free agency (2), veteran free agency (4) and trade (1) during his time in Minnesota.

No team has selected more future Pro Bowlers (13) than the Vikings during the last 10 NFL Drafts. These selections include wide receiver Justin Jefferson (2020), running back Dalvin Cook (2017), defensive end Danielle Hunter (2015), wide receiver Stefon Diggs (2015), linebacker Anthony Barr (2014), cornerback Xavier Rhodes (2013), wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson(2013), tackle Matt Kalil (2012) and safety Harrison Smith (2012).

Paton has also shown an ability to find impact players outside of the first round, acquiring Pro Bowlers in Cook (2nd round- 2017), fullback C.J. Ham (CFA – 2016), linebacker Eric Kendricks (2nd round – 2015), Hunter (3rd round – 2015), wide receiver Adam Thielen (CFA- 2013), kicker Blair Walsh (6th round – 2012), tight end Kyle Rudolph (2nd round – 2011) and defensive end Everson Griffen (4th round- 2010).

From 2012-2020, the Vikings made 26 first-, second- or third-round draft picks. Twenty four of the 26 players—an NFC-best 92.3%—drafted by Minnesota since 2012 were still playing in the NFL in 2020.

Of the 15 first-round selected by the Vikings during Paton's involvement with the team's draft (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. From 2008-19, only five teams had more players selected to the PFWA All-Rookie Team than Minnesota (12).

Coming off the second-best record in the NFC (50-29-1, .631) from 2015-2019, the Vikings re-tooled 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 offensive rookie Pro Bowler this year after setting the NFL single-season rookie record for receiving yards (1,400). Chosen 22nd overall, Jefferson was selected 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 playoffs 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.

Quarterback Brett Favre, who was signed as a street free agent and chosen to his 11th career Pro Bowl in 2009, piloted the team 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.

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

Paton, 51, and his wife, Barbara, have two children: Bella (14) and Beau (11).