NFL trade grades: Broncos send Aidan Hutchinson backup plan to a surprise destination

The Detroit Lions might be 7-1 and looking unbeatable right now, but the void left by Aidan Hutchinson's injury has yet to be filled. Replacing a player like Hutchinson is virtually impossible, but the Lions should do something to help their pass rush.

The Lions' defense might rank sixth in points against, but they've allowed the fourth-most passing yards against per game (250.8) through the first nine weeks of the season. Some of that has to do with the opposition having to throw the ball a lot with the Lions holding leads, but some of that also has to do with this team needing an upgrade of some sort.

With dream options like Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby off the board, Lions fans shouldn't have the highest of expectations, but adding someone is a necessity. That's why seeing a guy like Baron Browning get shipped off to the Arizona Cardinals hurts.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Browning was traded from the Denver Broncos to Arizona on Monday.

A sixth-round pick was Denver's return in exchange for Browning.

NFL trade grades: Broncos trade Brandon Browning to surprising destination

A Baron Browning trade felt inevitable for the Broncos based on how he had been playing and on their roster. Both Jonathan Cooper and Nik Bonitto have outplayed him, and Browning has yet to record a single sack or QB hit this season. He had appeared in just 46 percent of the defensive snaps, which is a career-low by far.

While yes, he has played poorly and the Broncos have other options, trading Browning still hurts. This is a player who was taken in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft expected to be a major piece in the defense. For the most part, when healthy, he was just that. He combined to record 9.5 sacks and 21 QB hits in 24 games when combining the 2022 and 2023 seasons, proving to be a really impactful player when healthy.

Unfortunately, Browning was never healthy enough with the Broncos and the Broncos had enough talent to be able to move on.

The 25-year-old now goes from one of the most surprising teams in the AFC to the 5-4 Cardinals who have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFC. Dennis Gardeck suffering a season-ending injury made Arizona's pass rush which was already suspect, that much worse. Now, Browning isn't going to step in and immediately make that unit a force, but he will make them better. Perhaps the Cardinals can tap into the upside displayed by Browning in 2022 and 2023.

Even if Browning proves to be a bust, giving up just a sixth-round pick feels worthwhile from Arizona's perspective. They addressed a need, and acquired a 25-year-old with decent upside without giving much up at all. On the flip side, though, the Broncos did pretty well too, acquiring a sixth-round pick for a player who was likely going to be departing at the end of the year.

The biggest loser of this deal might just be the Lions, as a potential Hutchinson fill-in fell off the board. If the Lions don't make a move before the trade deadline, missing out on Browning might come back to hurt in hindsight.

Denver Broncos trade grade: B
Arizona Cardinals trade grade: B-