There was very little doubt that the Chicago Bears were going to deal away the first overall pick in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, but to whom was the question. There were a handful of teams in the running and thought to be contenders, but the Carolina Panthers were the favorites throughout, and have pulled the trigger on a mega-deal.

The trade happened on Friday afternoon, as the two sides agreed in principle to make the first dealing for the first overall pick in seven years. Chicago sent the pick in exchange for the 9th and a 61st overall picks in this year’s draft, a first-rounder next season, a second round pick in 2025, and wide receiver DJ Moore.

Carolina Panthers First Team To Trade For #1 Overall Pick Since 2016

The 2023 draft class figures to be heavy at the top with quarterback talent, and it was well known that teams would be clamoring to trade up for the rights to have first dibs. The Bears finished with the worst record in the NFL last season, but it was always likely that they would trade away the pick given their quarterback situation with Justin Fields.

The Falcons, Buccaneers, and even the Raiders were thought to be at play to make the move, but it was the Panthers who finally made the commitment.

The deal marks the first time that a team has traded away the first overall pick since 2016. That was the year that the Los Angeles Rams moved up in order to select Jared Goff, giving a boat load of picks to the Tennessee Titans. One of those picks turned out to be Derrick Henry.

Compensation update, per sources: Bears trading No. 1 overall pick to Carolina for:

pick No. 9

pick No. 61

a first-round pick in 2024

a second-round pick in 2025

WR DJ Moore pic.twitter.com/hHrHn1UIR2

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2023

It is even rarer than we think. Before the Rams traded up for Goff, no team had dealt away the first overall pick since 2001, when the Falcons moved up for Michael Vick. The Chargers moved down and drafted LaDanian Tomlinson, going down as one of the most fair trades in NFL history.

The last time the pick was traded, and a team didn’t select a quarterback was in 1997 when the Rams traded up for OT Orlando Pace. Alabama QB Bryce Young figures to be the favorite to be selected first overall in 2023.

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