What Ryan Poles thinks of Bears’ Bryce Young NFL draft trade haul
Every pick from the Chicago Bears’ 2023 NFL Draft trade with the Carolina Panthers now has been made.
Ryan Poles is very happy with the result — and he should be.
“Yeah, I think (it went) pretty good,” the Bears general manager told Marquee Sports Network insider Scott Bair during a Friday night press conference at Halas Hall. “Yeah, things worked out for us.”
Sure did.
To recap, Poles — in just his second draft as Bears GM — dealt the 2023 No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers in exchange for wide receiver DJ Moore, two first-round picks (in 2023 and 2024) and two second-round selections (in 2023 and 2025).
The final pick from that package was submitted Friday, when Poles and Co. took Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III at No. 39 overall, and the full picture of the Bears’ heist — er, haul — is staggering.
Poles’ decision to pass on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young — whom the Panthers picked No. 1 in that 2023 draft — for such a large return thus far has been validated. Young has struggled in Carolina, including a benching last season, while Poles eventually found his franchise QB in Caleb Williams the next year, with the No. 1 pick acquired from the Panthers.
Add on top of that three starters in Moore, offensive tackle Darnell Wright and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, plus a promising prospect in Burden, and the five-for-one swap looks incredibly good for the Bears. If we’re being technical, add punter Tory Taylor to the mix. He came from the 2024 fourth-round pick acquired in the slight trade down to take Wright.
The Cowboys’ 1989 trade of Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings often is cited as the most lopsided in NFL history, with the draft pick capital in the deal creating Dallas’ 1990s Super Bowl championship dynasty. The Bears only can hope for similar results from the Young trade.


