Detroit Lions acquire Za'Darius Smith: What to know about defensive end acquisition
The anticipation is over. The Detroit Lions have made a trade to bolster their defensive line.
On Monday morning, the Lions acquired edge rusher Za'Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns, the Free Press has confirmed. General manager Brad Holmes and the Lions front office will send a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick to get Smith, 32, to fortify Detroit's defensive line, which has been ravaged by injury. The Lions also get a 2026 seventh-round pick back in the deal.
Who is Za'Darius Smith?
Smith is a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end with extensive experience in the division as a previous member of the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.
The Browns are in sell mode after starting the season 2-7 and sit near the bottom of the NFL standings, while the Lions needed to add pass rushers in their push toward the Super Bowl after losing Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg against the Dallas Cowboys.
Detroit sits in first place in the NFC at 7-1 after taking care of the Packers on the road on Sunday. The Lions defense struggled to generate pressure, but Detroit held Green Bay to just one offensive touchdown, which came when the game was out of reach, and created a pick-six thanks to pressure from linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Hutchinson led the NFL in sacks (7½) and quarterback pressures (45) before going down in Week 6. Two of their other primary edge-rushing options coming into the year, Marcus Davenport (pectoral) and Derrick Barnes (knee), are also out for the season, and John Cominsky (knee) has not played yet this year.
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The injuries have forced the Lions to exhaust every option available on the roster in the search for a consistent pass rush, but the front office secured more established help before Tuesday's trade deadline. Here is more information on Smith, the newest member of the Lions.
What to know about Detroit Lions DL Za'Darius Smith
Smith previously spent four seasons in the NFC North between the Green Bay Packers and Vikings, earning three Pro Bowl appearances in those years. He has 65 career sacks in 10 seasons, including five in 2024. He played in six of the possible eight games and had two sacks against Detroit from his time in the division. He was originally a fourth-round pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2015.
As a member of the Ravens, he emerged from a rotational player to a plus-piece on the edge with 8½ sacks and 25 quarterback hits in his fourth season, then hit the open market and signed with the Packers in 2019.
He was a star in his first two seasons with Green Bay. In 2019, he started all 16 games and finished with 13½ sacks to earn his first Pro Bowl nod. He followed it up with a 12½-sack season to earn a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro selection. He only appeared in one game in 2021 after missing the entire regular season with a back injury.
He signed with the Vikings in 2022 and finished with 10 sacks in his lone season in Minnesota before he was traded to the Browns. He started all 16 games for Cleveland in 2023 and had 5½ sacks, and has five through the first nine games this year, including two in the last three weeks. Smith played limited snaps in the Browns' loss to the L.A. Chargers and finished with one tackle for loss.
The Lions entered the week 16th in the NFL in sack percentage at 7.49%, with just five sacks from healthy defensive linemen: Alim McNeill (2½), Onwuzurike (1½) and D.J. Reader (one). The team had no sacks against a hobbled Jordan Love in Sunday's 24-14 win.
Lions trade history and draft pick outlook
The last time Holmes and the Lions traded for a player midseason, it also happened with the Browns. The Lions acquired receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, now on the practice squad, from Cleveland at last year's trade deadline for a 2025 sixth-round pick.
The Lions had seven picks in the 2025 draft to use as trade capital. They do not have a third-round pick, but have an extra seventh-rounder from the Dallas Cowboys. Detroit could theoretically continue to test the market before Tuesday's deadline if they want to continue to add help.
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Za'Darius Smith to Lions: What to know about new pass rusher
