With edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson sidelined for the season due to a fractured leg, the Detroit Lions are in urgent need of boosting their pass-rush.
Before his injury, Hutchinson led the NFL with 7.5 sacks, 45 pressures, 29 hurries, and eight QB hits. Without him, the Lions’ front-seven loses significant firepower.
Currently, six Lions players – Alim McNeil, Levi Onwuzurike, D.J. Reader, Malcolm Rodriguez, Trevor Nowaske, and Marcus Davenport – have together matched Hutchinson’s sack total, which is why CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin proposed trading for Cleveland Browns’ defensive end Za’Darius Smith.
“The Browns, at 1-5, have reasons to sell, despite some strong defensive assets, while the Lions should be buying at edge-rusher with Hutchinson out indefinitely,” Benjamin stated.
“Smith, previously with the Packers and Vikings, though 32 and better suited for a rotational role, would still be a clear improvement for Detroit’s thin unit, as they aim for another NFC title run.”
Smith has 10 pressures, seven hurries, three sacks, and two tackles for loss over six games this season. Though his role in Cleveland has diminished, Smith’s arrival would at least restore some pass-rushing threat for Detroit.
In the last two seasons, Smith was a top performer, accumulating 141 pressures, 95 hurries, 30 QB hits, and 15.5 sacks with the Browns and Vikings.
If James Houston can replicate the form that saw him record eight sacks and 17 pressures as a rookie in 2022, he and Smith could form a formidable duo for the Lions.
