It’s funny how one trade can eventually spawn so many other deals, when you follow the rabbit hole. If you follow it closely, you can see that, over a span of a couple years, trading Za’Darius Smith away during the 2024 season to the Lions helped lead to the Browns acquiring new offensive tackle Tytus Howard from the Texans.
Hat tip to Albert Breer for outlining the whole ordeal, which we put in our own words below:
- In November 2024, the Browns traded DE Za’Darius Smith and a 7th round pick to the Lions. In exchange, Cleveland received 5th (in 2025) and 6th (in 2026) round picks.
- In March 2025, Cleveland sent QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and that 5th round pick to the Eagles in exchange for QB Kenny Pickett.
- In August 2025, Cleveland traded QB Kenny Pickett to the Raiders in exchange for a 5th round pick in 2026.
- Today, the Browns used that pick from the Raiders to acquire OL Tytus Howard from the Texans.
That mostly closes the loop, although technically, there is still a spinoff thread
that remains. That 6th round pick originally acquired from the Lions in 2024 was traded, along with QB Joe Flacco, to the Bengals last season in exchange for a 5th round pick in the upcoming 2026 draft. You can see the Browns’ updated draft order here.
Dealing for 5th and 6th round picks a year or two in advance often seems inconsequential at the time, but you can see how instead of finding a late-round flier in the draft, they can be used as a chip to improve the roster with a proven, veteran player.
