C.J. Stroud is likely headed to either Carolina or Houston, and Justin Fields is staying in Chicago.
Any thought that the Chicago Bears would use the top pick in this year’s NFL draft to replace Fields went off the table on Friday afternoon when they traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers, putting Carolina in position to select the quarterback of their choice at the top of the draft.
The trade makes it very likely that Stroud will be one of the top two picks in the 2023 NFL draft, along with Alabama’s Bryce Young, as the Panthers and Houston Texans are both expected to take quarterbacks with the draft’s top two picks. Florida’s Anthony Richardson is the wild card to potentially jump in front of them after an impressive NFL Scouting Combine performance, but it would register as a surprise if the Panthers traded up for anyone other than Stroud or Young – especially after Stroud’s own spectacular performance in Indianapolis last weekend.
Considering new Panthers coach Frank Reich’s history of coaching taller quarterbacks who are pocket passers, there’s reason to believe Stroud may be his target of choice. Longtime Panthers beat writer Joseph Person reported Friday that “the sense around the league” is the Panthers are targeting Stroud with their trade up.
The height of every starting QB Frank Reich has coached
— Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) January 28, 2023
Peyton Manning: 6'5
Phillip Rivers: 6'5
Carson Wentz: 6'5
Nick Foles: 6'6
Andrew Luck: 6'4
Jacoby Brissett: 6'4
Rivers again
Wentz again
Matt Ryan: 6'4
If Stroud is selected in the top two overall picks, he’ll become Ohio State’s highest-ever draft pick at the quarterback position, surpassing 1982 No. 4 overall pick Art Schlichter. He would become Ohio State’s seventh top-two overall pick and could become the fourth No. 1 overall pick in program history if the Panthers draft him.
| Pick | Year | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | 1979 | TOM COUSINEAU | BUFFALO BILLS |
| No. 1 | 1994 | DAN WILKINSON | CINCINNATI BENGALS |
| No. 1 | 1997 | ORLANDO PACE | ST. LOUIS RAMS |
| No. 2 | 1938 | JIM MCDONALD | PHILADELPHIA EAGLES |
| No. 2 | 2019 | NICK BOSA | SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS |
| No. 2 | 2020 | CHASE YOUNG | WASHINGTON REDSKINS |
| No. 3 | 1956 | HOPALONG CASSADY | DETROIT LIONS |
| No. 3 | 1974 | JOHN HICKS | NEW YORK GIANTS |
| No. 3 | 1997 | SHAWN SPRINGS | SEATTLE SEAHAWKS |
| No. 3 | 2016 | JOEY BOSA | SAN DIEGO CHARGERS |
| No. 3 | 2020 | JEFF OKUDAH | DETROIT LIONS |
The trade also opens up the possibility that the Bears could now use the No. 9 overall pick – which they received in the trade with the Panthers along with the No. 61 overall pick in this year’s draft, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick and wide receiver DJ Moore – to pair up Fields with one of his former Ohio State teammates in either Paris Johnson Jr. or Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Johnson is reportedly set to make a pre-draft visit to Chicago, and offensive tackle is one of the Bears’ biggest positions of need, making Johnson a logical choice for the Bears as the potential top offensive tackle in this year’s draft.
The #1 OL in the NFL Draft #OhioState Paris Johnson Jr.
— Jared Tokarz (@JaredNFLDraft) March 8, 2023
Has Top 30 meetings scheduled with:#Eagles#Bears#Cardinals
Per source.
I am also told Justin Fields and Paris remain close friends and keep in touch regularly. pic.twitter.com/fOsndcLgAv
Joining Fields in Chicago is an outcome Johnson would welcome with open arms.
“That would be awesome,” Johnson said last week at the NFL Scouting Combine. “When I first came to Ohio State, he took me in and like, it's always cool when you're young lineman and the starting quarterback, he's just a humble guy. I used to beat him in Madden all the time. He knows, you can tell him. But that's my guy. He’s an amazing quarterback. He's smart. He's accurate. And it would be an honor to be back with him again.”
A reunion with Smith-Njigba is probably less likely with the Bears’ acquisition of Moore, who becomes the second starting wide receiver acquired via trade by the Bears since November, when they sent their second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Chase Claypool. Fields has openly campaigned for the Bears to draft Smith-Njigba, though, and Smith-Njigba would be thrilled if they granted their quarterback’s wish.
“Since he's been in Chicago, we've always talked about it,” Smith-Njigba said last week. “Him being like a big brother to me, I definitely appreciate it, coming from a guy like that ... I feel like we definitely had a little connection back in the day, but hopefully we can maybe do it again.”
