5 Questions with SI Wolverine Digest's Brandon Brown
1.) What are the Detroit Lions getting in Aidan Hutchinson?
Brandon Brown: The Lions are getting a little bit of everything in Aidan Hutchinson. He’s obviously an extremely talented player who can play defensive end in a 4-3 or a stand-up hybrid EDGE rusher in a 3-4. But, he’s also a workhorse and a former Michigan captain. He’s going to be outstanding in the locker room and in the city of Detroit, and he’s going to be all about football all the time.
His father, Chris, is a former All-American defensive lineman at Michigan and had a cup of coffee in the league as a practice player for the Cleveland Browns, so the natural bloodlines are there. But, it’s Aidan’s commitment to excellence that has made him special. He wasn’t exactly an elite recruit coming out of high school, but he got after it in the weight room and maximized his natural gifts in a major way.
2.) Do you think he will have a high ceiling at the NFL level?
Brown: I do think he has a pretty high ceiling. There seems to be some narrative out there that he’s not quite as athletic as some elite pass rushers, but that’s just not true. He tested better than both Bosa brothers (Joey and Nick) in just about every measure of athleticism, and showed that he can produce by breaking the Michigan single-season sack record this past year (14 sacks). He didn’t run a 4.4 or jump out of the gym, but the kid is incredibly quick, flexible and strong, which allows him to contort and control his body in ways that some other ends cannot.
I saw a talking head somewhere “critique” Hutchinson by comparing him to Jared Allen, saying, “Hutchinson’s ceiling is Jared Allen. He’s just not as dynamic as other pass rushers.”
Jared Allen is No. 16 all-time in sacks with 136, and is in the discussion as a potential Hall of Famer. I think most Detroit fans would be just fine with that kind of ceiling.
3.) What are his biggest strengths?
Brown: As was just previously mentioned, Hutchinson’s greatest athletic strengths are his short-range burst, ability to change direction at full speed, flexibility and overall body control. He might not have the fastest 40-yard dash in the league at a 4.74, but he does have one of the fastest 10-yard splits at 1.62 and is absolutely off the charts when it comes to his 3-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle.
At the combine, Hutchinson’s 3-cone drill was the best time among all EDGE rushers, and it was third best among all players at the combine, trailing just speedy wide receivers Calvin Austin and Kevin Austin Jr. His shuttle run was second fastest overall, trailing only Calvin Austin, who is 11 inches shorter and 90 pounds lighter. Couple those physical skills with his approach and work ethic, and Detroit getting him at No. 2 was an absolute blessing.
4.) How will he be remembered for his time at Michigan?
Brown: Hutchinson arrived in Ann Arbor with a legacy, because of his who his dad is. And, all he did was reach heights that his All-American father did not. Aidan surpassed his dad’s best sack number, and set the record at U-M. He’s also going to go down as one of the most passionate captains ever to wear the winged helmet. Whether you subscribe to the "Michigan Man" mantra or not, you can’t deny Hutchinson’s special story.
He’s the son of a Michigan All-American father and a U-M graduate mother. Both of his older sisters are Wolverines. He played as a true freshman, and started as a sophomore. He missed a lot of time as a junior, due to injury but then came back as a senior on a mission. He broke U-M’s single-season sack record, sacked C.J. Stroud three times in the Wolverines' 15-point win over Ohio State, helped lead Michigan to a Big Ten title over Iowa, laid it all on the line against a loaded Georgia team in the College Football Playoff and finished third in the Heisman race. He’s forever a legend in Ann Arbor.
5.) What is the best way defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn should use Hutchinson?
Brown: Hutchinson is versatile enough to play all over, but he’s best suited as a stand-up rush end in a 3-4 scheme, and it’s not really an opinion since we saw both scenarios during his time at Michigan.
During his first three years in Ann Arbor, Hutchinson was an anchor defensive end in Don Brown’s 4-3, blitz-heavy scheme. During those two full seasons and three games as a junior, Hutchinson recorded 11.5 tackles for loss and just 4.5 sacks. As a senior, he had 16.5 tackles for loss and an aforementioned school-record 14 sacks. Even though he’s big enough at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds to play as a true defensive end, he’s got that rare combination of agility, bend, balance and burst at his size to play standing up and in space some.
