The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns started Tuesday's NFL Trade Deadline action by agreeing to a trade that will send Cleveland pass rusher Za'Darius Smith to Detroit. This much-speculated move has come to fruition and will help the Lions further their efforts to make a Super Bowl run after Detroit lost Aidan Hutchinson for the season. Smith, 32, has five sacks in nine games this season, his second with the Browns. The three-time Pro Bowler has had 65 career sacks over 10 seasons with the Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Baltimore Ravens. If Smith somehow ends up with the Chicago Bears one day, he'll be the first player in NFL history to play for all four NFC North franchises. With the Browns and Lions making the first NFL Trade Deadline domino fall, everyone wants to know – how did either side do? Let's give some grades to the trade.
The trade between the Lions and Browns
- Lions get: Za'Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick
- Browns get: A 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick
Za'Darius Smith NFL Trade Deadline trade grades for Cleveland and Detroit
Lions: A
With the 7-1 Lions off to their best start since 1956 and looking like a legitimate threat to make their first Super Bowl appearance, Detroit executive vice president and general manager Brad Holmes felt the need to add a starter at defensive end to replace Hutchinson.
The new Lions defender's five sacks are 2.5 more than any healthy player on Detroit's roster. However, they came alongside only seven quarterback hits, which suggests he’s been more lucky than consistent. So, the Lions aren't getting some sudden game-wrecking force since Smith isn’t a game-changer like Hutchinson was. Fortunately, the Lions don’t need great. They’ve got a boatload of talent across the board. Detroit needs someone who can get to the quarterback after logging only a single sack in the last two games. That’s Smith. The question now is whether he can continue to succeed in a defense that doesn’t have Myles Garrett creating nightmares on the opposite corner.
Regardless, he’s a rock-solid veteran who can answer a need at a low cost. Cleveland hoped for a fourth-round selection but settled for a fifth and a 2026 late-round pick swap instead. So, addressing a need while not having to spend more than you were comfortable with trading is an overwhelming success for Detroit.
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Browns: B
Although the Browns shot for the moon, they still landed among the stars with their return. Smith is 32 years old and in his 10th season in the league, so a Day 3 draft pick makes sense for compensation. But Cleveland needs draft assets since they're a roster that badly needs inexpensive starters since they're stuck with Deshaun Watson's albatross contract. The Browns appear to be on the doorstep of a rebuild this offseason.
While Smith was signed through 2025, he no longer made sense to keep for the foreseeable future and better served as a piece to acquire a future asset. So, getting any draft picks in return made sense. It also allows the Browns to get a better look toward the future. Both Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire have flashed potential. Either could become a long-term bookend to Garrett with more playing time now that Smith is with the Lions.
