Michigan Star, Potential Top Pick, Aidan Hutchinson Enters 2022 NFL Draft

He could be the first player selected in the wake of a stellar career at Michigan.

Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL draft, will be leaving the Wolverines to head to the professional ranks. 

Hutchinson was a consensus All-American and the Lombardi Award winner, which is given to the top lineman in the nation, last year. He was also the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, becoming only the third defensive player to finish second in the history of the award.

“My Michigan legacy is complete, and it was truly the best time of my life,” Hutchinson said in a statement posted to Twitter on Wednesday. ”Onward and upward to the 2022 NFL draft. Thank you for everything, Wolverine nation and beyond.“

Last season, Hutchinson recorded 62 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, as well as 14 sacks, a Michigan record for a single season.

He publicized the decision less than a week removed from the conclusion of Michigan's season, which came as a result of a loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Orange Bowl.

The 2022 NFL draft will be held in Las Vegas and begin on April 28.