At risk of bringing too much negativity to the table after a blowout win on Sunday, the Detroit Lions' decision to ignore Za'Darius Smith and let him sign with the Philadelphia Eagles is already aging poorly. The Lions' defense needs help on the edge, and the options available in free agency are ugly (especially after Jadeveon Clowney signed with the Dallas Cowboys).
And while it might be a bitter pill to swallow, the Lions' best answer to their newest problem is to swallow their pride and approach the Eagles in trade talks. In a roundabout way, that means Smith could still be the catalyst for the Lions fixing their EDGE depth.
Lions-Eagles Trade Makes a Lot of Sense Thanks to Za'Darius Smith
With Smith in Philly, both Azeez Ojulari and Ogbo Okoronkwo have been inactive for each of the team's first two games of the 2025 season. As much as you hate to admit it, this is entirely a product of the wealth of depth the Eagles have at the position, and either one of those two would look great in a Lions uniform.
First, let's look at why a trade is needed, then we'll look at why Ojulari and Okoronkwo are the answers. If you're already convinced that the team needs help, feel free to skip ahead.
Why a Trade is Needed
Even if we give Marcus Davenport the benefit of the doubt on his cagey responses to questions about his injury, the Lions still need help. With Davenport, it's usually a question of when, not if, he'll get injured. He's only played more than 11 games once in the last five seasons. And even though he has played in two games so far, the Lions' lack of pass-rush depth is obvious. Just look at the list of linemen to record any pressures this season, per Pro Football Focus:
- Aidan Hutchinson (7)
- Al-Quadin Muhammad (4)
- Marcus Davenport (2)
- Tyleik Williams (1)
- Mekhi Wingo (1)
- Patrick O'Connor (1)
If everything goes according to plan, this group will be fine. But how often, in a long NFL season, does everything go according to plan?
Why Ojulari and Okoronkwo Are the Answers
To get ahead of the obvious "If they're so good, why are they healthy inactives?" question, we do, unfortunately, need to give the Eagles some credit. Not being better than any of Nolan Smith, Za'Darius Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Josh Uche isn't exactly a damning designation. You can't blame the Eagles for not dressing a fifth edge rusher with that much talent in their top four.
I will grant nay-sayers one thing: neither one looked like they're answers to anything in 2024. Ojulari had 6.0 sacks but was largely ineffective (career-low in pressures, career-high in missed tackles), and Okoronkwo had arguably the worst season of his career. At the same time, it's just as easy to see why the Eagles brought both of them in:
Situation matters, and both were in terrible situations last year. That Ojulari couldn't stand out in the Giants' defense, or that Okoronkwo struggled in the underperforming Browns defense can be excused. They've both shown significantly better potential in the past than they did in 2024, and neither is old enough to create much doubt that they could reach their heights again.
Consider Okoronkwo's PFF grade by year over the last four seasons:
- 2021: 79.5 (17th/110 EDGE)
- 2022: 75.1 (29th/119)
- 2023: 65.3 (82/112)
- 2024: 45.3 (116/119)
He's proven that he can be a difference-maker on the edge, even when he's not racking up huge sack totals. As a complement to Hutchinson, that's perfect.
The case for Ojulari is a little different. He had 8.0 sacks as a rookie, but has largely failed to live up to his promise as a second-round pick back in 2021. His addition would be more of a gamble: a high-upside move that could also totally fizzle out. But for what would likely only be a late-round draft pick, the downside still isn't all that great.
Do you want to help make the Eagles better in the long term by giving them draft picks in exchange for players who aren't even seeing the field? Of course not. Do you want them to benefit a second time from poaching Za'Darius Smith? Nope.
But sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do, and a trade here could be what the Lions need to stay in contention with the Eagles for the NFC crown.