The Detroit Lions are fully foused on the 2025 NFL Draft beginning on Thursday, yet this week's events aren't the only storyline surrounding the league at this point in the week.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the Lions would face the Los Angeles Chargers on July 31 in the preseason Hall of Fame Game, a glorified scrimmage that will still showcase the depth of each respective roster.
Considering how much roster turnover may be yet to come, one Lions vet likely won't be on the roster once that Hall of Fame Game officially rolls around.
Lions DT Chris Smith Likely to Be Cut Before Preseason Hall of Fame Game
Defensive tackle Chris Smith, who appeared in five regular-season games with Detroit on top of the playoff loss to the Washington Commanders, currently projects as fifth at his position on the depth chart.
He's behind guys like DJ Reader, Roy Lopez, Pat O'Conner, and Brodric Martin, so the 25-year-old faces a long, uphill climb toward any path to playing time. The six-foot-one, 316-pound nose tackle is intruguing, yet the Lions seem determined to commit resources to the trenches in order to make up for the postseason disaster.
Should that happen as expected, Smith will probably be on the outskirts. He did rank 73rd out of 219 qualified interior defensive linemen at Pro Football Focus, offering some hope, though playing only 14% of snaps during the regular season doesn't suggest that the coaching staff trusts him.
Smith is making a mere $960,000 in 2025, a drop in the pan for an organization like the Lions, which makes him easy to move on from. Should Detroit invest in the defensive line as expected, Smith will be battling for a practice squad spot at best.
He had only two tackles during his five games and failed to make much of an impact, so it wouldn't be hard for head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes to let him go.
We'll see what happens, yet it appears that Smith's days as a Lion are numbered.