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Defensive end Za'Darius Smith boldly stated where he wants to play when the 2025 season begins.
During the BET Awards, Smith noted that he would like to suit up for the Detroit Lions once again in the upcoming season. He praised the coaching staff and said he felt like he could be a leader for the organization, emphasizing that Dan Campbell's team was his desired destination for the 2025 campaign.
The lone update coming from the Lions' camp was that the team was in contact with him prior to the NFL Annual League Meetings, as Brad Holmes indicated that there was still mutual interest despite the team releasing him ahead of the start of free agency.
Smith's comments at the BET Awards takes the speculation even further, and it still remains to be seen if he winds up returning to Detroit. However, there would likely be a role in which he could help the team if he is ultimately re-signed.
For starters, Smith would instantly be inserted into the competition to start at defensive end opposite Aidan Hutchinson. At this present juncture, Marcus Davenport and Josh Paschal are the two top contenders for that spot with Davenport likely holding the edge.
Last season, Smith wound up having a solid year despite being traded at the deadline from Cleveland to Detroit. Across 17 games total, Smith totaled nine sacks including four in eight games with the Lions.
In that same vein, the veteran finished second on the team with his four sacks behind only Aidan Hutchinson. Last year, Hutchinson recorded 7.5 sacks in five games before suffering a season-ending injury.
As a result, there isn't a ton of concern about potential drop-off despite him entering his age-33 season. Even if he's not an every down player with the presence of Davenport, the Lions could still turn to him as exclusively a pass-rusher in different packages.
The team as a whole finished tied-for-23rd in sacks last season, and as a result Smith's presence would give the team that much-needed spark that he was able to provide in spurts last season.
While he may not be able to reach elite levels of production, he is savvy enough to make the most of his opportunities.
Ultimately, however, Davenport and Smith would likely compete for and share snaps. As a result, the Lions could effectively manage Smith's workload in order to get the most out of him. This could mean utilizing Davenport more against the run, while highlighting Smith's strengths as a pass-rusher.
The pairing would provide the Lions with the opportunity to either ride the hot hand or have depth if one of the players were dealing with an injury.
The veteran may not be able to provide peak performance for the Lions, but at the very least should be able to contribute rotationally in certain packages. I'm predicting that if Smith elects to sign with the Lions, he provides six sacks and eight tackles for loss while playing between 45 and 50 percent of snaps.
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