KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Carolina Panthers hold the first pick in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City. It's almost a guarantee the team will take a quarterback.
"This all has been set up to put a quarterback in the best position possible, and really go out and compete for championships for years to come,” said Kristen Balboni, Panthers team reporter. “Which is what the Chiefs did years ago, and of course everyone is trying to follow that model ever since to find the next Patrick Mahomes."
But the Panthers weren't always at No. 1. In March, they made a massive trade with the Chicago Bears, who originally held the first pick.
When that move was made, Panthers super-fan Zack Zando and his wife decided they had to come to the draft, no matter the cost.
"Hotel was a little bit inflated, probably close to $800 a night, but we're real close to the draft festivities and everything," Zando said. “We bought this on-location experience pass for the first night, guaranteed seating near the stage, and that was $2500 a person."
Zando and his wife love the draft, and her birthday is on Friday, so the trip was a must. Even if, for the same money, a totally different type of trip would have been possible.
"We could have gone to Jamaica for a couple of weeks, but you know, hey, here we are, it's an experience,” Zando said.
The trip is likely difficult to explain for people who aren’t NFL fans. But the NFL Draft is about hope, which is tough to put a price on.
“We figured, if things go well, your team never picks first overall more than once, right?" Zando said.
The 2023 NFL Draft kicks off from Union Station at 7 p.m. Thursday.
