The Lions acquire pass rusher Za’Darius Smith from the Browns.

In an attempt to strengthen their pass rush before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Detroit Lions made a move. According to people familiar with the matter, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that the Lions had acquired veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns. According to Rapoport, Detroit traded Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick. The trade was subsequently announced by the teams.

After ace Aidan Hutchinson suffered a fractured leg in October, the 7-1 Lions were in dire need of pass rush assistance. Since Hutchinson’s injury, Detroit has had trouble applying steady pressure, save for defensive tackle Alim McNeill. According to Next Gen Stats, McNeill recorded five quarterback pressures in Sunday’s landslide victory over the Green Bay Packers. Together, the other defensive line members had five. Aaron Glenn’s secondary faces challenges due to the absence of a pass rush. The fact that they have kept opponents out of the end zone as well as they have since losing Hutchinson is a credit to the defensive coordinator and a revamped secondary.

Smith is an established pass rusher who excels at running, which the Lions like in their defensive scheme. Smith, a former Packer and Minnesota Viking, offers an instant improvement and is familiar with the NFC North. He was ranked No. 2 on the Lions in 2024 with 26 quarterback pressures, only surpassed by Hutchinson’s 30.