The Detroit Lions made their targeted move for an edge rusher by trading for Za’Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns last Tuesday.

Following the trade, Smith was given two days off to check on his Florida home after the Browns’ bye week.

As a result, he didn’t make his Lions debut Sunday night against the Houston Texans.

Many Lions players could benefit from Smith’s presence, and though he wasn’t suited up Sunday night, hints of his positive impact were evident.

Smith seems likely to fit well both on the field and within the team culture.

Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes highly value both fit and talent, and they’ve often found the right balance in their moves.

One appealing aspect of acquiring Smith was his low base salary for this season and his contract extending into 2025.

Though there’s no solid financial commitment for next year, he is not simply a short-term rental for the Lions.

A sneaky candidate has been proposed as the Lion who’ll gain the most from the Smith trade.

Hamza Baccouche of Pride of Detroit recently posed and answered the question, “Which Detroit Lion benefits most from the Za’Darius Smith trade?”

Baccouche named several potential short-term beneficiaries (Alim McNeill, Carlton Davis, Alex Anzalone, Trevor Nowaske) but ultimately selected Aidan Hutchinson as the long-term beneficiary.

Hutchinson is out for the season, with a slim chance of returning if the Lions make the Super Bowl. However, Baccouche’s reasoning makes sense.

“My favorite part of this trade is that it’s not just a half-season flyer. Smith is under contract with the Lions in 2025 for $11 million, so we could see Smith and Hutchinson take the field together next September.”

“The Lions have long discussed adding pass-rush support for Hutchinson, and while the defensive line has shown strength early this season, it remained a need. Now, that need has dropped.

Smith brings not only strong pass-rushing ability opposite Hutchinson for next year but also a disciplined edge-setting presence, creating clean-up chances for others.

We’ve seen Hutchinson struggle to convert pressures into sacks, and Smith could be the key to change that.”

Hamza Baccouche, Pride of Detroit Hutchinson has largely led the Lions’ pass rush since he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2022.

The Lions’ search for a consistent partner for him has been a continuing challenge, but the idea of pairing him with Smith in 2025 is highly promising.