John Fox: Aidan Hutchinson Is 'Impact Player' for Lions

Why one of the Lions' senior assistants believes Aidan Hutchinson will be a star in Detroit.

Aidan Hutchinson's rookie season has created plenty of intrigue for his future with the Detroit Lions. 

The second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft excelled in his first professional campaign, notching 9.5 sacks and picking off three passes. 

He was rewarded for his efforts with a runner-up finish for Rookie of the Year honors. The award went to Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner of the New York Jets. 

His work impressed John Fox, who joined the Lions' coaching staff this offseason as a senior defensive assistant. Moving forward, the veteran coach is looking forward to watching the young pass rusher excel. 

"He's an impact player," Fox said. "I think the fact that he's kind of a homegrown kid, as well, adds to the allure. He's a guy that works hard, and you see a lot of strain in his game when you look at him on tape. I just met him a couple of days ago for the first time as a Lion. You see great potential. He had a very, very good rookie season, and he'll just be that much better for it, those experiences. He'll just get better and better, but he's an outstanding prospect, an outstanding player and look for a lot of improvement." 

Detroit Lions Aidan Hutchinson / © David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

Fox has seen plenty of talent come through the ranks during his lengthy coaching career. He joins the Lions after one season in a similar role with the Indianapolis Colts.

During his coaching career, the veteran coach has held three head coaching jobs, among numerous other roles. 

In his new role working with defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, he'll get to help grow the talented Michigan product. 

Hutchinson was immediately one of the best presences on Detroit's defense a year ago. He led the team in both sacks and pressures, and was among the most productive rookies in a number of categories. 

He led rookies in pressures with 53, while his pass-rush productivity rate of 6.0 ranked first amongst rookies with at least 200 snaps.

In his second season, the young defensive end will have a new position coach. Todd Walsh left for Carolina, and John Scott Jr. joined the organization. 

Coming to the Lions after a three-year stint at Penn State, Scott coached opposite Hutchinson on Saturdays. They squared off once, in 2021, as an injury kept the defensive end out of the teams' 2020 matchup. 

He's familiar with what the rusher brings to the table, and is excited to further his development. 

"Aidan, I'm glad he's on my side now," Scott said. "We had a tough one the last time we saw Aidan on the field. I think we had six snaps of offense, and he had three sacks to start the game. I'm glad he's on our side now. The guy is a high-motor guy, he was extremely productive in college. I've watched his games from the NFL, he still plays that way. The ceiling is as high as he wants it to be. He's a talented guy, and he works at it. So, (I'm) super excited to get with him and help him go where he wants to go. Very excited."