After acquiring veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith ahead of the NFL trade deadline in a move that was in response to major injuries at the position, the Detroit Lions may be set in their starting spots for at least another season.

Smith was brought in to help fill the voids left by the injuries to Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, and so far he has been a solid addition with three sacks in five games.

Smith is under contract for 2025, and right now it looks like he’s going to be back. But that isn’t guaranteed, and even if he does return, Smith is 32 years old and is unlikely to be a long-term solution.

Knowing all that, the Lions may want to start planning ahead for life after Smith and add a future running mate for Hutchinson, who won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

In his latest mock draft, The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez has the Lions taking Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“The Detroit Lions are the hottest team in the NFL and have a great culture,” Sanchez said. “They have every reason to be Super Bowl favorites. If there is any reason the Lions may lose before reaching the Super Bowl, it would be their lack of pass rushers.

“With Aidan Hutchinson being out, it is becoming more obvious that they need to draft another guy. So with this pick, the Lions go with edge rusher James Pearce Jr., an explosive EDGE who will pay dividends early as a pass rusher.”

The 6-foot-5, 243-pound edge rusher made a name for himself in 2023 when he tallied 10 sacks, eight more than he had the year prior. Pearce fell off a bit in 2024 with 7.5 sacks, but he still figures to garner interest in the first round of next year’s draft. Whether or not he makes it all the way to Detroit remains to be seen.

Assuming Smith comes back in 2025, the Lions can bring Pearce along slowly and let him serve as a rotational player in Year 1. The hope would be, of course, is that Pearce will be ready to start in 2026, which will also allow the Lions to save some money.