Lions Aidan Hutchinson Has Been 'Unbelievable' During Spring

Lions defensive line coach has seen significant improvements from Aidan Hutchinson.

Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions are expecting the defensive line, led by Aidan Hutchinson, to become a unit that consistently stops the run and pressures the quarterback.

One of the main storylines that has emerged during the spring was exploring who would be the player opposite Hutchinson to aid the unit in increasing the pressure and sack totals.

The former Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman faced criticisms last season due to his sack total not being higher.

Detroit's new defensive line coach, Terrell Williams, indicated no player can dominate on their own, but he has seen tremendous growth from the 23-year-old throughout offseason workouts and practices.

“I don’t know who can do it on their own. I’ve coached some really good players and those players, if they’re honest, will admit that they need other people," said Williams. "And so Hutch has been, he’s been unbelievable this offseason, and I think he’s made huge, huge strides from the time I arrived and to where we are now."

Hutchinson has been described as a 'grinder' who embodies Detroit's mentality of putting in the work and spending a significant amount of time asking questions and studying film.

"It’s not me, it’s him studying tape, it’s him asking questions. Everybody sees the big, tall 97 with long arms and Mr. Michigan and all this other stuff," said Williams. "But what you don’t see is the time that this guy puts in and he’s constantly asking questions and studying tape and studying other players and working on his craft. He is an extremely coachable player, like I love the guy because of what he’s about. He’s about getting better. He’s not about the glamour and the glitz, he’s just a grinder and we need a lot more guys to have that mentality.”

Williams describes his coaching staff as "adaptable" and that Detroit's roster played a significant factor in his decision to join the coaching staff.

“I’m adaptable, is what I’ll say. I can pretty much coach in any scheme, I can coach in any environment and I think that if all the players get from me is what we do on this field, then I’ve missed," said Williams. "I care and I love the guys that I’ve coached and if that makes me a teddy bear then that’s what it is. But I will say we’re gonna play with a certain style and that style fits what this football team is.”

Additional reading

1.) Lions Post-Minicamp Defensive Depth Chart

2.) Lions Offseason Takeaways, How Team Has Evolved Since 2021

3.) Top Photos: Final Lions 2024 OTA

4.) Observations: Hooker Finds Former Michigan TE, Special Teams Dominates