A trade with the Panthers has the Bears picking No. 9 overall and four times on day two of the 2023 NFL Draft, time to build around Justin Fields.
The 2023 NFL Draft just got shaken up at the top after a blockbuster trade between the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. Fans everywhere knew there was 0 chance that the Bears would sit at No. 1 overall and make a pick — we were right. The Bears are getting ready to build their franchise through the draft. In the trade, the Bears are receiving the No. 9 overall pick and No. 61 overall pick in this year’s draft from Carolina, as well as wide receiver D.J. Moore, the Panthers’ 2024 first-round pick, and the Panthers’ 2025 second-round pick.
Chicago Bears add DJ Moore in blockbuster NFL trade
D.J. Moore filled a massive need and bolsters the wide receiver room that has Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney. Moore is a true number-one wideout who amassed 1,000 yards receiving in three of the last four seasons. The former first-round pick is a big-play wide receiver who does his best after the catch.
So what will the Bears do now? First and foremost, the Bears need to sign their own guys. At the top should be David Montgomery, whose lack of efficiency was a product of the bad offensive line play. Another guy is linebacker Nicholas Morrow, who leads the team in tackles, but he struggles in coverage, which should drive his price tag down. Outside of those two players, the Bears don’t have guys they must sign. However, they do have a ton of needs.
Free agency will dictate a lot of what the Bears will do. The strongest position is running back and offensive tackle. Guys like Orlando Brown, Mike McGlinchey, Cameron Irving, and Taylor Lewan are the top guys. However, great teams are built through the draft, and Ryan Poles understand that. He found his potential franchise quarterback. Now it’s time to build around him.