Chicago Bears Trade First Overall Pick To Carolina Panthers

The Chicago Bears have traded the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers, who have dealt four picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore in a move surely made so they can land their new franchise quarterback.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Panthers are sending the ninth overall pick, pick number 61, their 2024 first and a 2025 second to Chicago for the top pick in a class with four standout quarterbacks.

The Panthers will now have their pick from Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis, with many believing Carolina is a quarterback away from contention in a weak NFC South following the arrival of Frank Reich as their head coach.

For the Bears, the haul they have received in return allows general manager Ryan Poles to set about rebuilding a talent-poor roster around quarterback Justin Fields with significantly more ammunition to succeed in that task.

The most intriguing aspect of the deal from the Chicago side is the presence of Moore in the package sent to the Bears.

Moore is coming off the most prolific season of his career, one in which he scored seven receiving touchdowns. However, the 2022 campaign also saw him express dissatisfaction at his level of involvement in the offense as he posted 888 receiving yards, his lowest total since his rookie season.

Prior to last season, though, Moore had racked up three successive 1,000-yard seasons, establishing himself as one of the better wideouts in the NFL.

The Bears will hope he can quickly establish a rapport with quarterback Justin Fields, whose lack of dynamic weapons was painfully obvious in his second season as a pro. Fields enjoyed a spectacular season running the ball, finishing the year with 1,143 yards on the ground, but ranked 34th of 34 qualifying quarterbacks in Football Outsiders DVOA and DYAR.

Moore’s arrival alone will not help Fields take the next step in his development and there is no guarantee that the Panthers or the Bears will make the right decision with the respective draft capital they have received in this trade.

But for a team that appears ready to make the leap to playoff contention and another that is still very much in the midst of a rebuild, this is a deal that, on first glance at least, looks to be a win for both sides.