It’s been a few weeks in the making but the Detroit Lions finally made the trade with the Cleveland Browns for Za’Darius Smith. Adding the talented defensive end was much needed after the Lions lost Aidan Hutchinson for the season due to his leg injury.
With this addition, the Lions are getting a veteran defender that has started more than 80 games in his career. During that time, he has over 300 tackles and 65 sacks. The former 4th round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft has found success playing for the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns.
Currently, Smith is playing on a 2-year contract worth a total of $23 million dollars. For the Lions, most of that money has been paid out from the Browns so currently, Smith will count as a $605,000 cap hit for the Lions (per Spotrac). There is an option for the Lions to let him go after the season, if it isn’t a fit and it wouldn’t cost them anything in dead cap money. If the Lions decided to bring him back for 2025 to pair with Hutchinson, it would only cost them a cap hit of $5.4 million dollars.
So, the tenured player has been a productive player and has more than a reasonable contract for the Lions. But what does he bring to the team? Let’s jump into some film to see what Smith will provide the Lions defense moving forward!
Love this T/E stunt with Za’Darius Smith. Ball is completed on 3rd and long but he forces the QB to throw off his back foot. #OnePride pic.twitter.com/441Mf374XC
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) November 5, 2024
During the absence of Hutchinson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has done a good job getting creative to generate pressure. Whether it be blitzing from all angles or designing a variation of line stunts, Glenn is doing whatever he can to form some type of pass rush.
Now his job gets somewhat easier to execute that game plan with the addition of Za’Darius Smith. Looking at the play above, you’ll see Za’Darius Smith (Browns DE 99) executing a T/E stunt for the Browns defense last season against the Texans.
Watch as he loops inside; he has more than enough speed and burst to get through the hole and close to the quarterback. Fortunately for the quarterback, he’s able to get the pass the ball while throwing off his back foot. However, it’s 3rd-and-long, and it’s one of those plays where Smith interrupts the timing, and it could lead to a sack or turnover. Adding that to a defense that is 2nd in the NFL with 11 interceptions on defense could do wonders for this unit.
By adding Za’Darius Smith, the Lions get alignment versatility with him. Whether it be in a wide-9, tilt-5, 3T or just about anywhere, he can provide an impact. #OnePride pic.twitter.com/nf4KqwLOes
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) November 5, 2024
Jumping into some tape from this year, one thing that immediately stood out with Smith is how he provides alignment versatility. He can play in a wide-9, tilt-5 and pretty much anywhere else a defensive coordinator wants to put him.
Looking at the play above, you’ll see Smith (Browns DE 99) align standing up over the right tackle as a 5-technique. However, he’s aimed or tilted towards the right guard. As he goes to rip across the face of the right guard, his pad level is a bit too high but he does his job by collapsing the middle as an interior pass rusher.
This works perfectly as there’s an outside rush from two defenders with wide alignments. This forces the quarterback to step up in the pocket and this is where he’s met by Smith for the sack.
Za’Darius Smith ripping across the face of the TE and bending down the LOS to make the tackle. You just love to see it. #OnePride pic.twitter.com/rvpxpSgiQi
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) November 5, 2024
Lastly, I want to highlight Smith’s ability to stop the run. Looking at the play above from a game against the Ravens this year, we’ll see Smith (Browns DE 99) is aligned over the tight end to the right of the formation.
Once the ball is snapped, Smith displays good burst while being able to rip across the face of the tight end. In the process, he bends down the line-of-scrimmage and helps make the tackle.
Having Smith present on the Lions defensive line won’t just help with generating a pass rush. He will also assist in stopping the run and teams will have to find ways to block him.
Overall, this deal had to be done by the Lions. They needed help up front for their defense and they should get it moving forward. So far this season, Smith has played 324 defensive snaps (per PFF).
This has led to 5 sacks and 27 pressures for Smith this season. From PFF, he’s earned a 73.6 overall grade and a 71.1 pass rush grade. Certainly, Smith is not graded as highly as Aidan Hutchinson but he will enter as the highest graded edge defender that is active on the team right now.
Pairing Smith with Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Josh Paschal and the rest of their defensive line combinations should do wonders for this Lions defense. Having a defensive end that can turn speed-to-power, align anywhere on the line-of-scrimmage and execute the designed line stunts will be impactful. This move was the correct one by the Lions franchise and it should pay off in a big way for the next year and a half.
