Za’Darius Smith trade: Grading the Detroit Lions’ move

It took a while to hammer out the details, but the Detroit Lions finally got a deal done before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Cleveland Browns defensive end Za’Darius Smith is heading to Detroit after agreeing to a trade.

Let’s break down the trade and offer an overall grade for the move.

Terms

As a reminder, here’s what it cost to acquire:

Lions get:

• Za’Darius Smith
• 2026 seventh-round pick

Browns get:

• 2025 fifth-round pick
• 2026 sixth-round pick

It became clear over the past few days that the Browns wanted a fourth-round pick, but Lions general manager Brad Holmes stood pat and found an alternate way of giving the Browns more than a fifth-round pick.

But was it really that much more than a fifth-round pick? Remember, the Lions are almost certainly headed toward the playoffs this year, and hoping for a deep run. That means this fifth-round pick is going to be late in the round. Tacking on a swap of 2026 picks doesn’t feel all that important, particularly because Holmes isn’t losing a pick in that draft, simply downgrading it. And if the Browns follow on their current trajectory, is a Lions sixth-round pick in 2026 going to be that far off from a Browns seventh-round pick?

Last week, the Chiefs traded for Josh Uche for a 2026 sixth-round pick. While the cost here is more, Uche is on an expiring contract and is nowhere near the player (or the fit) that Smith is.

Terms grade: A

Financial cost

The financial cost for the Lions is almost none. Detroit only has to pick up the remaining prorated salary for 2024 ($605,000).

If Detroit wants to keep Smith around for 2025, it’s a little more complicated. He has a $1.5 million salary, a $5.592 million option bonus that hits the cap over three voided years, a $2 million roster bonus, and in-game bonuses of $510,000 total.

So, in short, it would cost them around $9.6 million in cash, but the cap hits would be spread out. He’d cost around $5.4 million against the cap in 2025, and when his contract automatically voids in 2026, Detroit would incur about $4.2 million in dead cap.

If Detroit opts not to keep him around for 2025, they can cut him before the option and roster bonus hit, leaving them with zero dead cap on their books.

Finances grade: A+

Schematic fit

The Lions like their defensive ends big and physical. Well, let me introduce you to 6-foot-4, 270-pound Za’Darius Smith. While at 32 years old, he’s not at his athletic peak anymore, he’s still got some pass moves to counter his power moves. Miss the Aidan Hutchinson spin move? I’ve got some good news:

Perhaps more importantly, Smith is a willing and able edge setter. Over the last five games, the Lions defense has uncharacteristically struggled, allowing 124.2 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry. Smith has a solid PFF run defense grade of 65.9 this season. Comparatively speaking, here’s how other Lions defensive ends grade out in run defense:

• James Houston: 32.0
• Al-Quadin Muhammad: 41.9
• Isaiah Thomas: 55.0

Additionally, Smith can move all around the defensive line. Take this snippet from this week’s Pride of Detroit Direct newsletter, via Fantasy Points’ Brett Whitefield:

“He is a guy you can scheme up to get optimal looks. This year alone he has lined up from a 3-point stance, in wide-9, all the way inside at 3-technique, and everything in between. He can rush from a 2-point stance while over a tight end. He has been excellent kicking inside from a 2-point stance rushing as a “mug” LB rusher in either the A gap or B gap. He has been great on stunts, twists, and delays, and you can even play him in this SAM LB role the Lions have tried with the likes of Derrick Barnes and Trevor Nowaske.”

Schematic fit grade: A

Talent

Is this a trade on the level of Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett? Obviously not. Is Smith at the apex of his career? No. But for what basically amounts to a mid-Day 3 pick, Smith is about as good as you can get.

That said, temper your expectations a bit. Smith is not going to be a double-digit sack guy in Detroit. There are valid questions to be had about whether he can keep up his production without Garrett taking up attention on the other side of the line. And even playing alongside strong teammates in Cleveland, Smith had two or fewer pressures in five of nine games this year.

Of course, he also has at least five pressures in three of those five games. He will also benefit from DJ Reader and Alim McNeill eating up space in the middle. If Smith gets more attention in Detroit, it could free up McNeill, Reader, or Josh Paschal to make plays—and they’ve all proven capable of winning their one-on-ones.

Smith isn’t playing the best football of his career, but he’s an above-average starter, he’s still capable of playing 60-70% of snaps a game, and he’s a veteran who can even help out Detroit’s young room.

Talent grade: B

Overall

There’s a reason why the Lions’ EDGE search seemed hyper-focused on Smith. He’s an ideal fit, a balanced player, and a Dan Campbell guy—all at an extremely affordable price both in terms of draft picks and cap hit.

Overall grade: A