For the last four years, the Detroit Lions have been in and around the playoff picture at midseason, which means they have been potential buyers around the trade deadline.
In 2023, the Lions whiffed on the opportunity to make an impact move. By the end of the season, it was clear that decision may have cost them when they lost a hotly contested NFC title game. By 2024, the Lions were back and enjoying a historic season. They needed a pass rusher, and found one in the form of Za'Darius Smith.
Smith went on to produce in Detroit, and as a result, is arguably the best move the Lions have made under Brad Holmes' tenure as general manager. A new ranking by ESPN revealed that the decision to add Smith is the best trade deadline move the franchise has made recently. Eric Woodyard made the case for Smith based on production after coming on board.
"The Lions have plenty of impactful offseason trades, including ones that helped them land quarterbacks in Jared Goff (2021) and Bobby Layne (1950). But the best in-season deal in terms of immediate impact likely goes to Smith. He had four sacks in eight regular-season games for the Lions, who had a team-record 15 wins and earned the NFC's No. 1 seed in 2024. Detroit received Smith and a 2026 seventh-round draft selection from the Browns for a 2025 fifth-rounder and a 2026 sixth-rounder."
As good as Smith was, he didn't stick around in Detroit long-term, nor did he help the Lions to a playoff win or a Super Bowl title or appearance after he was added. With this in mind, the Lions should be setting their sights a bit higher this season, with the opportunity to make a bigger splash that pays off in an even bigger way.
This is the opportunity that Holmes has waited for to put his stamp on a Detroit team that feels like it could make a run in the postseason.
Brad Holmes needs a bigger deadline to boost Lions during 2026 season
Last season, it was easy to see why Holmes punted on improving the Lions dramatically. In 2025, the Lions had too many holes to address, and there wasn't a clear path to the playoffs for Detroit given how bunched up the NFC was.
By the end of the season, Holmes was proven right because the Lions languished and didn't make the playoffs. One or two additions wouldn't have helped a team that was fraught with injury over the hump much, if at all. The Lions saved their draft pick and parlayed that into offensive tackle Blake Miller, who is impressing as a rookie.
This season, though, the Lions look like one of the top-tier teams in a bunched NFC race. With a pair of key wins in their pocket against the NFC North, they are a firm force in the divisional race. By shoring up a few of their bigger holes with a bigger move, the Lions could state their case as a top playoff contender this year and potentially even a division winner.
Finding a player like Smith to chip in for the stretch run is a nice baseline goal, but the hope is that Holmes realizes what he is capable of and seizes the moment in an even better way for his roster this season.
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