Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus could gain a star pass rusher for his defense in a deal for the No. 1 overall pick.
The Chicago Bears are entertaining offers for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and the Carolina Panthers might have just the right bargaining chips to persuade them to give up on both Will Anderson Jr. and Jalen Carter.
Nearly everyone around the NFL is expecting the Bears to trade down from the No. 1 spot in the draft given they have Justin Fields in place as their starting quarterback and would benefit from having more than one selection in the top 50. Many also expect they will look to trade with either the Houston Texans (No. 2) or the Indianapolis Colts (No. 4) in order to remain in the top four and still land either Anderson or Carter.
In his latest mock draft, however, Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago had the Bears moving all the way down to No. 9 overall in a blockbuster deal with the Panthers. They would send their No. 1 overall pick and a 2024 third-rounder to Carolina in exchange for two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Brian Burns along with the Nos. 9 and 39 overall picks in this year’s draft and a first-round selection in next year’s draft.
“A conversation with former NFL general manager Thomas Dimitroff and Eric Eager of Sumer Sports as Super Bowl LVII’s Radio Row put this idea on the map,” Schrock wrote. “Trading down to nine takes the Bears out of the running for Jalen Carter or Will Anderson. But they get a 24-year-old star edge rusher in Brian Burns, replenish the second-round pick they lost in the Chase Claypool trade, and still get an extra first-round pick.”
Schrock then projected the Bears to take Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (No. 9) and LSU defensive end BJ Ojulari (No. 39) with the picks they acquired from the Panthers in the trade, using their leftover second-rounder from the Claypool trade to add another receiving weapon for Fields in the former of Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt. Talk about a home-run haul for a Chicago roster that has many, many current needs.
Burns is Consistent, Accomplished & Not Yet in His Prime
There is an insane amount to like about Burns and his potential fit with the Bears. He has been a constantly-ascending player for the Panthers throughout his four seasons in the league, racking up a combined 38 sacks and 206 total pressures and displaying a knack for creating impact plays as both a pass rusher and run stuffer. For a Chicago defense that recorded a league-low 20 sacks in 2022, he would be a massive gain.
The Bears would also have the benefit of knowing that Burns — who turns 25 in April — is still at the onset of his prime. While he is currently set to cost about $16 million in 2023 on his fifth-year option and could be in line for an even bigger payday when he signs his second NFL contract, he has enough mileage left on his career to potentially become a foundational piece of Chicago’s defense for many seasons to come.
Now, some of you might be asking why the Panthers would be looking to trade Burns at all if he is as great as advertised, but they were at least entertaining offers for their star pass rusher back during the 2022 trade deadline in November. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Los Angeles Rams offered two first-round picks and a second-rounder for Burns, only for the Panthers to ultimately decline their offer. Burns went on to finish the season with a career-high 12.5 sacks and his second Pro Bowl selection.
Maybe the Panthers would keep Burns off the table during trade-up conversations, but never underestimate a desperate NFL team searching for its next franchise quarterback.