Carolina acquired Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Kansas City's 2025…
Carolina acquired Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Kansas City's 2025 seventh-round pick for Carolina's own 2025 seventh-rounder. Smith-Marsette supplied immediate depth, return ability and some offensive touches during the 2023 season, while the eventual pick difference favored Kansas City only modestly. Because the Panthers received a usable player in addition to a late selection, Carolina produced the slightly better total return.
Carolina Panthers Received
- player Ihmir Smith-Marsette
- pick 2025 7th round pick (247th overall subsequently traded, Tommy Akingbesote )
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- pick 2025 7th round pick (226th overall subsequently traded, Carson Bruener)
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Carolina and Kansas City made a late-preseason deal on August 29, 2023. The Panthers received wide receiver and returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette plus a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick, while the Chiefs received Carolina's conditional 2025 seventh. The conditions ultimately produced two 2025 selections: Kansas City held No. 226 and Carolina held No. 247. The difference in draft position was meaningful but still small at that stage of the draft, where roster odds are already long.
Why Carolina Gets the Edge
Smith-Marsette actually dressed and contributed for the Panthers in 2023. He handled return duties, caught passes and added rushing work, giving Carolina immediate value beyond the later pick it also received. None of that production was star-level, but the acquisition cost was extremely low. Getting a usable game-day player for a modest slide in the seventh round is a favorable conversion.
How Kansas City Fared
The Chiefs' logic was sound. Smith-Marsette was expendable on a crowded roster, and Kansas City improved its eventual draft slot by 21 places. That is the kind of marginal move good teams make. The problem for the verdict is simply that the pick advantage was not large enough to outweigh Carolina's additional season of on-field contribution.
Final Verdict
Carolina earns a B- and Kansas City a C+. This was a low-stakes transaction with reasonable logic for both teams, so the grade gap should stay narrow. The Panthers received a player who helped immediately and still retained a seventh-round selection, which is enough for a modest Carolina Panthers Win.