UNC's Mitch Trubisky taken by Chicago Bears 2nd overall in the NFL draft
PHILADELPHIA -- The Chicago Bears traded up to get the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft Thursday night and selected UNC's Mitch Trubisky.
There was some thought they might wait a round or two to take a QB. Instead, the Bears jumped at the chance to take Trubisky even though they signed Mike Glennon after cutting Jay Cutler.
The Bears gave the San Francisco 49ers the No. 3 pick and a pick next year.
The Cleveland Browns started the draft selecting Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett.
In his only season as the Tar Heels' starter, Trubisky set program records with 3,748 yards passing and 30 touchdowns, as well as for completions (304), attempts (447) and total offense (4,056). He also ranked in the top 10 nationally by completing 68 percent of his passes after two seasons seeing spot duty.
UNC's Julius Peppers went second overall to the Carolina Panthers in the 2002 NFL draft. Lawrence Taylor was the second pick of the 1981 draft. Both players went on to superstardom, with Taylor already in the Hall of Fame and Peppers likely to join him.
With the No. 8 overall pick, the Carolina Panthers selected running back Christian McCaffrey out of Stanford.
He's expected to give former league MVP Cam Newton some needed help on offense.
RELATED: Panthers select versatile running back Christian McCaffrey at No. 8
Along with his ability to run the ball, the 5-foot-10, 202-pound McCaffrey has the ability to play slot receiver and return kicks. He set an NCAA record with 3,864 all-purpose yards in 2015, rushing for 2,019 yards along with 645 yards receiving and 1,070 on kickoff returns.
After combining for 45 touchdowns in 2015, Newton spent most of last season under duress, throwing 19 TD passes and 14 interceptions while completing a career-low 52.9 percent of his passes.
McCaffrey figures to help bolster that completion percentage by serving as an outlet for Newton on short slant routes and dump downs because of his abilities as a receiver. The Panthers were also last in the NFL in yards after the catch, an area the big play McCaffrey excelled at with Stanford.
This past season McCaffrey averaged 211.5 yards per game and led the Pac-12 with 1,639 yards rushing despite being hampered by an ankle injury. He averaged more than 30 touches per game over the past two seasons.
McCaffrey comes by his high football IQ naturally. He's the son of former Denver Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist.
ESPN and the Associated Press contributed to this report
