Za’Darius Smith, a Greenville High School alumnus, is making a significant move in the NFL, transitioning from a Cleveland Browns team currently tied for the worst record in the AFC to the NFC’s best-recorded team, the Detroit Lions. The Lions have reportedly acquired the veteran defensive end in a trade, as confirmed by sources like Cleveland.com, NFL Network, and ESPN, just hours before the official trade deadline at 3 p.m. CST on Tuesday.
This trade comes after Detroit’s top pass-rusher, Aidan Hutchinson, sustained a broken leg during a dominant 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on October 13. In the three games since Hutchinson’s injury, Detroit managed only five sacks, with none recorded in their recent 24-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Smith, who has registered five sacks so far this season with the Browns, brings with him 65 career sacks to boost Detroit’s pass-rush.
In exchange for Smith, Detroit has sent a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, a sixth-round pick in 2026, and a seventh-round pick in 2026 to Cleveland. This marks the second trade of Smith’s career, following his move from the Minnesota Vikings to the Browns in May 2023, where the Vikings received draft picks in exchange.
Smith’s football journey began at Greenville High School, where he initially played basketball before joining the football team in his senior year. His performance led to a scholarship at East Mississippi Community College, followed by two seasons at Kentucky. The Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, where he played four seasons before moving to the Green Bay Packers on a four-year, $66 million deal.
While with the Packers, Smith earned Pro Bowl honors in both 2019 and 2020, totaling 26 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, and 60 quarterback hits. However, an aggravated back injury in the 2021 season required surgery, and Smith didn’t return to play until the playoffs, where he marked his comeback with a sack in Green Bay’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC playoffs.
Released by the Packers in March 2022, Smith was signed by the Minnesota Vikings to a three-year, $42 million contract, earning another Pro Bowl selection in 2022 after posting 10 sacks. The Browns acquired him in 2023 and extended his contract with a two-year, $23.5 million deal, though he never made it to free agency.
Smith’s move to Detroit comes amid a broader reshuffling for Cleveland, which also traded All-American Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills in mid-October. The Browns, who are currently on a bye week with a 2-7 record, will return to action on November 17 against the New Orleans Saints.
Meanwhile, the Lions, with a 7-1 record, will face the Houston Texans next Sunday at 7:20 p.m. CST. Because Detroit already had its bye week, Smith could potentially play in all 18 regular-season games this season.
