Panthers concerned teams were going to beat them to No. 1 pick

A general view of a Carolina Panthers helmet. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers concerned other teams were going to beat them to No. 1 pick

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 3/11/23

There were several team reportedly interested in trading with the Chicago Bears to move up to the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

That fear of competition is what drove the Carolina Panthers to ultimately pull the trigger on Friday’s blockbuster trade, according to Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Panthers felt they were in a competitive situation. They worried that teams like the Colts and Raiders were trying to get the No. 1 overall pick, and didn't want to take chances. So... they got aggressive and closed the deal. @BallySports
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 11, 2023

Carolina surrendered the No. 9 and 61 overall picks in the 2023 draft, a first-round pick in 2024 and a second-round pick in 2025 plus star receiver D.J. Moore to jump ahead of other quarterback-needy teams including the Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders.

Now, the Panthers have their pick of quarterback with some draft experts believing they’re targeting Florida’s Anthony Richardson over Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis.

Carolina had a revolving door at quarterback last season, playing four different signal callers. Baker Mayfield played in a team-high seven games, but he completed just 57.8% of his passes with six touchdowns and six interceptions.

P.J. Walker threw for just 731 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions in six games, while Sam Darnold, who also played in six games, was the only QB to throw more touchdowns (seven) than interceptions (three), and the Panthers had a winning record in games he played in (4-2).

The haul the Bears received was likely too steep for the Colts to justify moving up just three spots. With Houston likely taking a QB at No. 2 and the Arizona Cardinals linked to Alabama defensive end Will Anderson Jr., Indianapolis will likely end up with either Stroud or Levis.

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