After a dour few seasons, the Panthers finally get the chance to land the quarterback of their dreams.
Carolina agreed to send a war chest of assets, including No. 1 wide receiver D.J. Moore, to Chicago in exchange for the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. It's a move that seemingly confirms what we have known for some time: the Panthers are determined to fill their void at quarterback this year.
MOCK DRAFT: Panthers jump Texans, Colts for C.J. Stroud
The move is significant for several reasons. First, it pairs Chicago QB Justin Fields with a bona fide No. 1 pass-catcher capable of carrying the burden in the X position. It also gives them more flexibility to improve their offensive line, among other areas. Fields was sacked 55 times last year.
Most notably — at least in the immediate future — the NFL Draft is undergoing a massive reorder that should include a wave of corresponding moves further down the draft board.
MORE: Breaking down Panthers' best fits at No. 1
So, how does the first round now look? The Sporting News has on the updated order of selections after a trade that stunned the football world.
NFL Draft order 2023
| Pick | Team | W-L-T |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carolina Panthers (from CHI) | 7-10 |
| 2 | Houston Texans | 3-13-1 |
| 3 | Arizona Cardinals | 4-13 |
| 4 | Indianapolis Colts | 4-12-1 |
| 5 | Seattle Seahawks (from DEN) | 5-12 |
| 6 | Detroit Lions (from LAR) | 5-12 |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | 6-11 |
| 8 | Atlanta Falcons | 7-10 |
| 9 | Chicago Bears (from CAR) | 3-14 |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles (from NO) | 7-10 |
| 11 | Tennessee Titans | 7-10 |
| 12 | Houston Texans (from CLE) | 7-10 |
| 13 | New York Jets | 7-10 |
| 14 | New England Patriots | 8-9 |
| 15 | Green Bay Packers | 8-9 |
| 16 | Washington Commanders | 8-8-1 |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-8 |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | 9-8 |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-9 |
| 20 | Seattle Seahawks | 9-8 |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | 10-7 |
| 22 | Baltimore Ravens | 10-7 |
| 23 | Minnesota Vikings | 13-4 |
| 24 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 9-8 |
| 25 | New York Giants | 9-7-1 |
| 26 | Dallas Cowboys | 12-5 |
| 27 | Buffalo Bills | 12-4 |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals | 12-4 |
| 29 | New Orleans Saints (from SF via MIA, DEN) | 13-4 |
| 30 | Philadelphia Eagles | 14-3 |
| 31 | Kansas City Chiefs | 14-3 |
Notes:
— The Panthers and Bears swapped first-round selections as part of the trade that sent D.J. Moore to Chicago.
— The Eagles hold the Saints' first-round pick as part of a pick swap with New Orleans during the 2022 NFL Draft.
— The Texans hold the Browns' first-round pick as part of the trade that sent Deshaun Watson to Cleveland.
— The Seahawks hold the Broncos' first-round pick as part of the compensation in the Russell Wilson trade.
— The Lions hold the Rams' first-round pick because of the Matthew Stafford trade.
— The Broncos traded pass-rusher Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins for a first-round pick prior to the 2022 NFL trade deadline. That pick formerly belonged to the 49ers, who traded it to Miami as part of the package to move up to draft Trey Lance in 2021.
— The Dolphins don't have their own first-round pick after being sanctioned by the NFL for tampering violations regarding Tom Brady and Sean Payton.
— The Broncos traded away the pick acquired from trading Chubb to the Saints for Sean Payton.
NFL Draft 2023 top prospects
This year's draft is teeming with talent, with a trio of passers figuring to be involved early in the proceedings, if experts are to be believed.
MORE: Updated big board of top 70 players overall, position rankings
After acquiring Chicago's pick, Carolina seems certain to take a potential franchise QB. The choice is expected to come down to Alabama's Bryce Young or Ohio State's C.J. Stroud. SEC stars Anthony Richardson (Florida) and Will Levis (Kentucky) also figure to be in the mix for top-10 selections after strong showings at this year's NFL Combine.
This year's draft is also expected to feature game-changers on defense, including Georgia's Jalen Carter, Alabama's Will Anderson and Clemson's Myles Murphy. Don't be surprised to see an offensive lineman jump into the fore, as well; the Bears look poised to build a fortress around Fields in the pocket.
Here are the top 10 prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, courtesy of TSN's Vinnie Iyer.
- Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
- Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
- Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson
- C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
- Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
- Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
- Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State
- Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
- Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
