Aidan Hutchinson Could See More Reps on Inside of Defensive Line

Aidan Hutchinson could see an increase in reps at a different spot along the inside of the Detroit Lions' defensive line.

Detroit Lions rookie Aidan Hutchinson has had a typical rookie season for a player of his caliber. 

Drafted second overall, Hutchinson has spent the first half of his rookie season learning the ropes of being a professional. 

He’s had big moments, such as a three-sack performance in Week 2 against Washington. But, he's also struggled getting to the passer in other weeks. 

Despite some of the challenges rookies entering the league commonly face, Hutchinson still leads all first-year players in sacks (4.5) and pressures (24) through the first eight games of the 2022 season. 

Though he made plenty of noise at Michigan as an EDGE rusher and has currently been playing a majority of his snaps with the Lions on the edge, Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn surprised some when he said the rookie could spend some time on the inside of the defensive line.

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“You know what, I think the one that Aidan has done a really good job of is buying into some of the things that we want to get done,” Glenn said. “That can be technically, that can be scheme-wise and also being able to listen to him on some things that he likes also. And, I think you do that with every player, and I think that’s the new way, that’s the new age of listen to the player, and let them have input. Now, do we install all of those things? No, we don’t, but it’s good to hear them out. But, man, you just talk about the discipline part. Now, he messed up on some couple plays last week. I mean when (Aaron) Rodgers got on that scramble, that was Aidan made a mistake on that one. But, there aren’t too many times when he makes the same mistake. And, that’s a trait that he has, no one coached him on that.

“That’s just what he’s good at doing, but his pass rush on the edge, we’re starting to put him on the interior quite a bit. We didn’t get to as much as we wanted to in this past game, but you’ll start to see that. But, that ‘want to,' as far as him being inside, because I know he likes being on the edge. But, now, I think you’ll see him do some pretty good things on the inside, also. So, those are things that he stays improving on, and I’m excited to see him in those situations.”

Speaking with reporters, Hutchinson expressed that he’s open to playing in the new role. He detailed the difference between rushing on the interior and rushing off of the edge.

“I think it’s really just a spatial thing,” Hutchinson explained. “Being in a three-technique, you’ve got a lot less room to work and everything hits a little bit quicker, so you’ve got to be a little quicker with your footwork. Then, the edge is obviously pretty open, but you can get chipped more and there’s more ways to slow EDGE rushers down. So, I think those are kind of some of the differences.”

Some of Hutchinson’s difficulties have come as a result of getting too far upfield and running past the quarterback. As he grows as a defender, he’s working to keep passers in front of him and finishing opportunities for big plays.

“It’s been a point of emphasis,” Hutchinson said. “So, it’s gonna be on all of our minds. It’s just one of those things that you’ve always got to keep in mind. And, you know, this game, it’s an emphasis. So, you’ve just gotta, you can’t let them scramble.”

Showing the necessary discipline and making more stops will be key for the rookie as he continues his development. Hutchinson knows this, and feels he has shown growth through the first half of his rookie season.

“I think things have really started to slow down,” Hutchinson said. “Just, even in how I game-plan and how I see things. I think, definitely, things have gotten simpler in my head, as you kind of go along and you play against all these different kinds of tackles. And, you know, I think it’s gotten a lot better for me, and I think, talking about my progression, it’s definitely on the upward trend. Especially with some of the scheme changes, I feel like they’ve been helping me and getting me in better positions.”