The Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers orchestrated one of the biggest trades in the NFL two years ago, which landed the latter quarterback Bryce Young, while the former received a multitude of draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore.
Now, heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, we can almost put this trade to rest, with one Day 2 pick remaining to be made by the Bears. Let’s revisit the blockbuster trade with all the moving parts as it concludes.
Original terms of the DJ Moore/Bryce Young trade between Panthers and Bears
- Panthers receive: 2023 first-round pick (No. 1 overall)
- Bears receive: DJ Moore, 2023 first-round pick (No. 9 overall), 2023 second-round pick (No. 61 overall), 2024 first-round pick, 2025 second-round pick
What did the Bears do with the picks from the DJ Moore/Bryce Young trade?
In addition to wide receiver DJ Moore, the big haul of draft picks was the prize of the trade.
With the 2023 first-round pick, the Bears traded down one spot with the Philadelphia Eagles and took offensive tackle Darnell Wright at No. 10. They received a 2024 fourth-round pick to move down one spot.
With the 2023 second-round pick, Chicago took cornerback Tyrique Stevenson at No. 61.
Then came the biggest pick of them all in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Panthers were so bad in Young’s first season, the future first-rounder became the top overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. It wasn’t Chicago’s original selection used to select quarterback Caleb Williams, but Carolina’s.
With the 2024 fourth-round pick received in the trade down with Philadelphia, Chicago ended up taking punter Tory Taylor last year.
Now, they’ll close out the trade this weekend with Carolina’s 2025 second-round pick, which stood at No. 39 overall. The Bears took Missouri WR Luther Burden.
How has DJ Moore/Bryce Young trade fared for the Bears?
Originally, this move looked like one of the more lopsided deals in NFL history from a value standpoint, as Young struggled dearly in his first year in the pros. That even led to his benching under new head coach Dave Canales in Year 2 before regaining the starting job midway through the season in 2024.
Moore has provided the Bears with a No. 1 receiver, going for 1364 yards in his inaugural season in Chicago before barely missing the 1000-yard mark with 966 yards in 2024.
Wright and Stevenson were Day 1 starters for the Bears at key positions (right tackle and cornerback), and have maintained those statuses since. Williams is Chicago’s quarterback of the future and showed flashes during an up-and-down rookie year.
While Young is trending up after a porous rookie season, the amount of value Chicago could generate from the trade makes them clear winners, even before knowing how the 2025 second-round pick will perform.
Winner: Chicago
