Aidan Hutchinson Is 'Antsy', Ready to Start NFL Regular Season
If the Lions' preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons was a sign of things to come for Detroit in 2022, then the team is going to like what it gets out of Aidan Hutchinson during his rookie campaign.
In the 2022 No. 2 overall pick's preseason debut, he logged 11 snaps, and showcased the ability to wreak havoc in an opponent's backfield.
In all, the Michigan product posted a tackle for loss and a hurry of Falcons signal-caller Marcus Mariota. Plus, the EDGE defender drew a holding call against veteran offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom while in pursuit of a scrambling Mariota.
Overall, it was a solid day from the first-year pro, who earned an 88.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts. Subsequently, Hutchinson was the highest-graded first-round rookie defender from Week 1 of the preseason.
"Hutchinson brought physicality whether lined up at the left or right end spots or when he kicked inside. He lined up over the left guard on one third down, worked past the blocker’s inside shoulder to get into the backfield but the ball had already been released," NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter explained. "Hutchinson couldn’t quite get to Mariota on a couple other occasions, and Mariota made him pay for crashing down the line instead of keeping outside containment. The rookie’s hustle and movement skills were quite evident, though.”
Hutchinson plays with a high degree of tenacity and physicality, and he showcased vs. the Falcons that he's going to be a handful for offensive lines to deal with for many years to come.
Although he's played in just one exhibition contest, the rookie pass rusher feels like he's already ready for the regular season to kick off.
"I'm ready to go. I think, I just want to get there," Hutchinson commented, after the Lions' joint practice with the Colts Thursday. "All the preseason, all the camp stuff, you know, it's good getting better. But, man, you just want to get to that Week 1 and get into the season and get rolling. And, you're just getting a little antsy. So, that's how I feel."
As for the rest of Detroit's defense, it didn't have the best showing in Week 1 of the preseason.
It crumbled down the stretch, and played a significant part in the team's late-game collapse.
On fourth-and-9 and with 1:37 remaining in the contest, Aaron Glenn's unit allowed Atlanta rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder to connect with wide receiver Jared Bernhardt for the go-ahead, game-winning score.
It was resemblant of past Lions teams that have struggled to hold on to leads, because of the inability to get stops at the end of games.
And, for much of the team's fanbase, there is now cause for concern with Detroit on the defensive side of the ball, just like in recent seasons.
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Hutchinson and his teammates haven't allowed the deflating loss to get the best of them, however. According to Hutchinson, they played with a solid amount of energy the first two days of joint practices.
"Yeah, I thought we had a really good day yesterday. I thought we had great energy, and you know, I thought they (the Colts' offense) came out today doing some good things. And, we also fired back later in practice," Hutchinson said. "So, I mean, it's that constant back and forth that you want, in a practice like this, and you're always getting better in these joint practices. And, you know, you just really want to get better as a football team and better as a player. And, I think we did that."
