From the moment that Cleveland Browns start Myles Garrett requested a trade from the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2017, the Detroit Lions have been one of the most obvious landing spots. And why wouldn't they be?
Not only do the Lions have ample cap space for Brad Holmes to operate within while taking on Garrett's contract and any possible extension but Detroit needs pass rush help. That was the case before Aidan Hutchinson's injury last season and certainly the case after. So to then turn around going into the 2025 season as an obvious contender with Hutchinson and Garrett is the type of all-in move that makes more sense for the Lions than almost any team.
The one problem: The Lions need to be willing to make such a splash. And that might not exactly be the case.
According to ESPN insider Dan Graziano ($), though the Lions remains a clear fit in every sense for Garrett, he also noted that it would be "a little out of character" for Detroit to make such a big move to add someone from the outside. To make things even less optimistic for the possibility of this trade, Graziano also noted that another former Brown and one of Garrett's former teammates might be the likelier option for the Lions.
Lions trading for Myles Garrett isn't as cut-and-dry as it initially seemed
Graziano noted that, with the way Holmes and Dan Campbell have run the Lions — not to mention how successful that the duo has been in doing so — that he "would say it's more likely they bring back Za'Darius Smith" than it is that they would orchestrate a Myles Garrett trade.
Make no mistake, that does fit how the Lions have gone about their business. Moreover, Smith was a good fit for Detroit's defense after Hutchinson was lost for the season. In eight games with the Lions, he came up with 4.0 sacks and three tackles for loss as well as 10 QB hits. Sure, that's not remotely close to the production we've seen from stars like Garrett and Hutchinson, but it's the type of impact the Lions needed.
At the same time, there is more uncertainty about the Lions going into the 2025 season than fans may care to admit. Campbell and Holmes remain in place but Detroit's coaching staff was gutted this offseason. The high-profile losses, of course, are watching Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn depart from their offensive and defensive coordinator posts, respectively. However, the ancillary assistant staff has also been pilfered as well this offseason.
The Lions still have one of the best rosters in the league. At the same time, though, there is a chance that there will be a gap that needs to be made up from the coaching advantage they could lose, even if it's not gone entirely. Someone like Garrett is absolutely the type of player to bridge that gap. Smith, while a fine player, not so much.
Graziano is absolutely right that trading for a superstar like Garrett is out of character for how Detroit has operated. The Lions, however, are entering some uncharted waters and this might be the perfect time to go outside of their comfort zone and make a splash with a trade such as this. Smith might be enticing to re-sign but he simply doesn't promise the same level of impact that his former Browns teammate, Garrett, does.