It finally happened – the Cleveland Browns pulled the trigger and sent Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions in exchange for two late round draft picks. The team had to send a pick of their own to make the deal work for the Lions, but Cleveland is getting at least one more pick than Detroit out of the transaction.
The return is a lot smaller than you’d expect given Smith has been one of the best pass rushers in the AFC this season. Just yesterday, Baron Browning was sent to the Arizona Cardinals for a sixth round pick. Browning is far less impactful and far less utilized than Smith is this season, so it could’ve been assumed he’d net a lot better of a return. Maybe even a fourth rounder.
But no – GM Andrew Berry and the Browns could only get a fifth and sixth rounder for Smith, one of the best pass rushers in the division and a member of a top-3 pass rush team by win rate in the entire NFL. That’s not a good look, especially after seeing reporting yesterday from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that the team was holding out for a better offer than what the Lions were presenting.
That said, the Browns now have a new pool of draft picks to work with in 2025, possibly the team’s most important draft as it looks to likely rebuild through cheap but talented rookies. With this trade and their earlier season trade of Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills, here’s what the team is working with in 2025.
First round: Own pick
Second round: Own pick
Third round: Own pick, BUF pick
Fourth round: Own pick
Fifth round: DET pick
Sixth round: Own pick, CHI pick, MIN pick
TOTAL: 9 picks in 2025
This is great for Cleveland if they’re able to actually hit on those late round picks. But not getting a fourth rounder for Smith – which, according to NFL reporter Albert Breer is what the Browns were trying to get from the Lions for him – feels like a bit of a miss from the front office. Maybe there are other trades in the pipeline ahead of this afternoon’s deadline that’ll make this easier to digest, but as of now, there’s no indication of anyone else getting moved.
Cleveland’s depth at RDE is now Isaiah McGuire. Maybe the Browns and Kevin Stefanski pull a Dawand Jones-Jed Wills Jr. switch and place Mike Hall Jr. to start in Smith’s place, or even Ogbo Okoronkwo on that side instead of having him back up Garrett. But, one thing is for certain – the pass rush just lost a ton of juice with Smith gone, while the Lions look even more formidable with his addition now.
