NFL Draft Profile: Aidan Hutchinson, Defensive Line, Michigan Wolverines

NFL draft profile scouting report for Michigan defensive lineman, Aidan Hutchinson

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#97
Pos: DL
Ht: 6065
Wt: 260
Hands: 1028
Arms: 3218
Wingspan: 7818
40: 4.74
3-Cone: 6.73
Shuttle: 4.15
Vertical: 36
Broad Jump: 0909
DOB: 8/9/00
Eligible: 2022
Plymouth, MI
Divine Child High School

Aidan Hutchinson
Michigan Wolverines

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One-Liners

A pure power rusher and sound run defender, Aidan Hutchinson boasts impressive strength, excellent hand usage and reasonable agility; that said, his very stiff lower half and high pad level limit his ability to win up the outside track.

Pros: 

A team full of notable 2022 NFL Draft hopefuls, Michigan has been one of the top programs in the country thanks to its stifling defense. Already an intriguing prospect heading into 2021, Aidan Hutchinson is an experienced, productive and well-built defensive end. He primarily wins with his length and technique, managing distance well. Hutchinson also fights hands to keep his frame clear. What’s more, he employs early hands and strings a wide variety of moves together with an incredible work rate. The Michigan standout wins against poor offensive line technique with his motor and clean hands. When tackles present one, Hutchinson has the awareness to attack the soft inside shoulder. Further, he has impressive power at engagement. He has very dangerous speed to power ability and his affinity for always adding one last hand move at the end of any rush attempt helps him finish. Hutchinson regularly works through half-man. Moreover, the Michigan native uses head fakes, body fakes, hand moves, agility and timing to force whiffed blocks. He precedes his inside rushes with a rocker step and clean hands to penetrate. Against the run, Hutchinson exercises proper gap integrity. He has the length and strength to stack, anchor, window and shed. He can make tackles through engagement. He even displaces linemen to obstruct rushing lanes. Hutchinson is a reliable tackler. 

Cons: 

It is important to put any athlete who sees an astronomical rise in their level of play during their final college season under a microscope. Hutchinson is one such player. He primarily wins with technique; his above-average athleticism is less apparent on film when he plays with improper hand usage. Moreover, his inconsistent pad level severely limits his ability to win with power. When he does get leverage, he tends to lean, fails to roll his hips through and is not flexible enough to compensate. He leads with his shoulder into contact too often which effectively surrenders his chest. Further, Hutchinson has irregular burst out of his stance and average long speed. He cannot reliably stick with ball carriers to the sideline. He has an underwhelming speed rush profile, primarily due to his inflexible lower half and his especially stiff hips. Hutchinson is very limited up the outside track; his inability to bend through engagement renders him easy to remove from the play with little resistance from blockers. He may have trouble improving his pad level because of his stiff frame. What’s more, Hutchinson has not consistently shown he can beat double teams. Against the run, he sometimes attacks the blocker’s incorrect shoulder and takes himself out of the play. He is a liability in coverage. 

Summary: 

The efficacy of Michigan’s defense can be largely attributed to the team’s spectacular pass rush. One key piece of that unit is Aidan Hutchinson, a career contributor whose rise in 2021 is seemingly fueled by excellent hand usage and power. A solid mover, he can beat linemen that exhibit poor technique. He is also a strong run defender. That said, Hutchinson’s stiff lower half impacts every aspect of his game. He plays with a high pad level and cannot reliably attack the outside track. He projects as an immediate starter with Pro Bowl potential. 

Background: 

Born on August 9th, 2000 in Plymouth, Michigan to parents Chris and Melissa Hutchinson, Aidan Hutchinson is part of a family of Michigan Wolverines. His mother attended the University of Michigan. His father was a Michigan defensive lineman from 1989 to 1992, where he won the team MVP award in his final season. Hutchinson references his relationship with his dad as a reason for some of his success; specifically, their time together working on technique and studying film. His sisters, Mia and Aria, are both students at the University of Michigan. According to his mother, Hutchinson has wanted to play football for the Wolverines since his childhood. Everyone asked about his style and success on the field mentions the college star’s effort. As a student at Divine Child High School, Hutchinson was a standout defensive end, tight end, offensive lineman and long snapper. He led his team to back-to-back Catholic League titles in 2016 and 2017. He also made it to the Division 3 Michigan state semi-finals. As a junior, Hutchinson put up 68 tackles and 11 sacks during the team’s 10-3 season. During his 11-2 senior season, he recorded 65 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, four sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick; he caught 38 passes for 419 yards and eight touchdowns. Hutchinson played lacrosse for Divine Child. He was a two-year team captain and received second-team all-state honors as a junior. He was named to the 2017 MLive Detroit Dream Team on defense, the 2017 Detroit Free Press All-State Dream Team and the 2017 All-Catholic League Team. He made four tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in the 2018 US Army All-American Game. A sought-after recruit, Hutchinson received a four-star rating from 247Sports Composite Rankings. The same service named him the 112th-best recruit in his class, the 6th-overall strong-side defensive end in his class and the top recruit from Michigan that year. As a freshman for the Wolverines, Hutchinson played in all 13 games and made 15 tackles. He won the 2018 Team Rookie of the Year Award for Defense. As a sophomore, he started all 13 games and put up 68 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, six pass breakups, four quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. He was recognized as Academic All-Big Ten and the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2019; he shared the Richard Katcher Award with Kwity Paye. He also was named 2019 All-Big Ten third team by coaches and All-Big Ten honorable mention by media. Despite starting just three games as a junior before suffering a season-ending injury, Hutchinson made 15 tackles and hurried the quarterback twice that year. He was, again, recognized as Academic All-Big Ten. A breakout star in 2021, Hutchinson was named Midseason Big Ten Player of the Year by the Associated Press. He was labeled a Midseason All-American by the Associated Press, Sporting News and ESPN. He was a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award and a candidate for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year. He was CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 in 2020 and 2021. A testament to his peers’ opinions of him, Hutchinson was a team-voted captain in 2020 and 2021. 

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Grades

Current Player Value/Potential Player Value

1st Round

Floor/Ceiling: 

Average Starter / Pro Bowler

Scheme Fit: 

4-3 Defensive End 

2/15/22 - “That was obviously one of the goals going into the season, but there's no guarantees in life, no guarantees that you're going to win anything. But as we got closer and closer to that Ohio State game, you know — I mean, that was the big test for us I think. And I think when we beat them, we knew, you know, we can — we're a really good football team, and we got a really good chance to win this next game because, you know, Ohio State was a really talented team. But, yeah, I think just beating Ohio State just for everybody's mentals for sure, everybody's minds, we overcame them and we were moving on to bigger and better things, you know." -- Aidan Hutchinson on beating Ohio State

11/30 - NFL Draft: Harbaugh - “Hutchinson Should Be First Overall Pick”

“Hutchinson is capable of turning speed into power with hesitation bull rushes, while also flashing arm-overs and two-handed swipe maneuvers that showcase his agility, balance and body control. With the Michigan standout also displaying an ultra-quick first step and an explosive closing burst, he possesses enough tools in the toolbox to wreak havoc on opponents as a designated pass rusher from either side.” – Bucky Brooks, Former NFL Scout