Lions Select Aidan Hutchinson with No. 2 Pick, Fortify D-Line
The opportunity presented itself for the Detroit Lions to select one of the premier defensive linemen coming out of college.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars deciding to go in a different direction, Lions general manager Brad Holmes decided to select Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The addition of Hutchinson strengthens what is generally viewed as a unit still in need of playmakers. The Michigan product projects to play as an EDGE rusher in Detroit's defensive scheme.
While the ex-Wolverines defensive lineman did admit in pre-draft interviews that he was not a fan of the Lions growing up, he did express excitement in an ESPN podcast interview about the possibility of playing for the hometown team.
"I think it’d be great (to play in Detroit), to be honest with you. I’d be the hometown hero times two, never leaving Michigan really. I think Dan Campbell, he seems like a real good guy to me, just from the outside," Hutchinson said. "I know you can’t really judge a coach by what he does in the media, but just seeing what he does and how he treats his players and they won that game last week and how his players were all, they were all -- I think that they have a lot of heart on that team. And, just a couple more pieces to the puzzle, and I think they could be a really good ball team."
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At 6-foot-7, 260 pounds, Hutchinson ran the three-cone drill in an impressive 6.73 seconds at the combine, which was the sixth-fastest time recorded for the entire draft class, regardless of position.
After discovering where he was projected to be selected following his junior season, Hutchinson decided to return to Michigan to achieve more team success and eventually turn himself into a bona fide top draft pick.
"Last year, I knew my ability was that level, but they were only slotting me later in the first and some were in the second. I kind of heard that draft report last year when I was a junior, and I knew if I came back and I just played like I want to play and how I’m able to I can show I am worth a top-five pick. So, I did that this year, I think," Hutchinson explained.
Hutchinson joins a young, talented defensive line, led by Romeo Okwara, Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike and Charles Harris.
The rotation also includes Austin Bryant and Julian Okwara, both of whom are looking to build upon their 2021 seasons under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
