Colts lose out on No. 1 overall pick as Panthers trade with Bears
Not the best news for the Colts.
Speculation surrounded a potential trade involving the Chicago Bears and a quarterback-needy team. The Indianapolis Colts were thought to be one of the main contenders interested in trading for the No. 1 overall selection.
Instead, it's the Carolina Panthers that made the big splash. The Panthers traded away multiple first-rounders and Pro Bowl wide receiver DJ Moore in exchange for the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Which means the Panthers will get their top quarterback prospect. And the Colts will likely have to be fine with coming away with a player that's not at the top of their board.
It remains to be seen who the Panthers will take at the top of the draft. Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis all appear to be in play with over a month until the selection is made.
For the Colts, this makes a big decision even tougher. Sitting with the fourth pick, Indianapolis was already behind divisional rival Houston Texans, who is slated to pick second.
It was never officially confirmed that the Colts were in serious talks to make a trade up in the draft, but it is still a big blow nonetheless. Mainly because this deal takes that possibility completely off the table.
Now with the Bears officially trading their pick away, the Colts move further down in the pecking order. There is a real scenario in which Indianapolis has to settle for the third or even fourth-best signal caller in the draft.
Perhaps this forces the Indianapolis Colts to trade up one spot with the Arizona Cardinals just to ensure that they get one of their preferred quarterbacks. If not, there's the risk of another team jumping them — again.
