Carolina moved down only eight spots, sending Kony Ealy and…
Carolina moved down only eight spots, sending Kony Ealy and pick No. 72 to New England for pick No. 64. The Panthers used No. 64 on Taylor Moton, who became a durable long-term starting right tackle. New England released Ealy before the 2017 season and later traded pick No. 72. The Panthers turned a modest move up the board into one of the franchise's most dependable offensive linemen.
Carolina Panthers Received
- pick 2017 2nd round pick (64th overall, Taylor Moton)
New England Patriots Received
- pick Kony Ealy and 2017 3rd round pick (72nd overall subsequently traded, Taywan Taylor )
Trade Analysis
The structure of this trade made New England's gamble look inexpensive at the time. The Patriots sent the final pick of the second round, No. 64, to Carolina and received defensive end Kony Ealy plus the Panthers' third-round choice at No. 72. Ealy had flashed major upside in Super Bowl 50, where he recorded three sacks and an interception, so moving down only eight places for a young pass rusher looked like a classic low-cost Patriots bet.
It never reached the regular season. New England released Ealy in late August after he failed to secure a role in the defensive front. The Patriots therefore received no regular-season snaps from the centerpiece of the deal. They later traded pick No. 72 to Tennessee in a separate draft-day move and received picks No. 83 and No. 124, so they did preserve some draft value, but that later maneuver cannot erase the fact that the player acquisition itself failed.
Carolina's side became dramatically more valuable. The Panthers used No. 64 on Western Michigan tackle Taylor Moton. After a reserve rookie year, Moton became the starting right tackle in 2018 and developed into an exceptionally durable presence. Carolina's own biography notes that he played every offensive snap for five consecutive seasons from 2018 through 2022, an extraordinary run of availability at a premium position.
The Panthers essentially converted an expendable defensive end and an eight-slot move down into a long-term starting tackle. That is a textbook value win. New England's later handling of the third-round pick keeps the grade from being an outright failure, but the original transaction did not deliver the edge player it sought.
Carolina earns an A+ because Moton became a foundational starter for years. New England earns a D+ because Ealy never played a regular-season snap for the Patriots and the remaining value came only from subsequently moving the draft pick again.