Lions' Aidan Hutchinson 'Very Thankful' Jaguars Passed on Him

The Jaguars made waves in the 2022 NFL Draft when they passed on Aidan Hutchinson for Travon Walker, a move Hutchinson said this week he is "very thankful" for.

The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off one of the biggest against-the-grain decisions in recent draft history when they opted to select Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker over Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson last April.

Walker as deemed the raw but athletic prospect who had sky-high potential but questions about his production. Hutchinson was seen as a ready-made prospect, though not one who possessed the same measurables as Walker.

The Jaguars went with Walker, tying the two together at the hip for the rest of their NFL careers. And with the Jaguars traveling to Detroit for joint practices this week,  Hutchinson said via the team's website that he never thinks about what might have been.

"Nope. I'm happy here. I'm very thankful. It all worked out, it was divine timing," Hutchinson said. "The way things unfolded were the way things were supposed to go."

"He’s a great player. We did our due diligence and really studied him and all the other top edge rushers last year," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said this week.

"The way he came out and played in our game last year and the way he had nine and a half sacks I believe last year. Just a great performance for a young player and the sky is the limit, he’s going to continue to get better and he really makes that defense a little more solid.”

Hutchinson finished as the runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 9.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and three interceptions. Walker, meanwhile, recorded 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one interception, production that hasn't stopped the criticism of the selection. 

“Yeah, that’s just the way it works. I’m excited for both players, two young players that are going to have great careers in this league," Pederson said.