Aidan Hutchinson: 'I’m on a Completely Different Level'

Aidan Hutchinson feels he's taken himself to the next level.

It’d be hard to find a player more ready for the upcoming NFL season than second-year pro Aidan Hutchinson.

The Detroit Lions EDGE defender, who was taken No. 2 overall by Detroit in the 2022 draft, is coming off a highly impressive rookie campaign. He finished the season with 52 total tackles, including nine for loss, to go along with 9.5 sacks and 15 total quarterback hits. The Michigan product also notched three interceptions, three passes defensed and two fumble recoveries, en route to finishing as the runner-up for the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

It was a year for the record books, too, as he became the first rookie in NFL history to record a season with at least 7.5 sacks, three interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries.

Needless to say, the 22-year-old isn’t lacking in confidence heading into his second season as a pro.

“My confidence right now is really through the roof,” Hutchinson told reporters Thursday, on Day 3 of OTAs from the Lions’ Allen Park practice facility. “Me personally, I feel like I’m on a completely different level. And, I mean, instinctually, my explosiveness. Everywhere on the board, I feel like I’ve taken myself to the next level.”

Hutchinson believes Detroit’s defense is also at a different level now than it was a season ago.

“As a team, I mean, this defense, it’s definitely different this year, looking around the huddle and (seeing) a bunch of guys, you know, (that have) served in ‘wars.’ Dudes, just older vets, especially in the backend, who have seen it all. So, it’s a different vibe,” Hutchinson added.

Throughout this offseason, Lions general manager Brad Holmes has made a concerted effort to upgrade the team’s secondary.

In the early portion of free agency, he inked multiple defensive backs to contracts, including former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cam Sutton and ex-Philadelphia Eagles do-it-all DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Holmes also used a second-round pick in this past April’s draft on Alabama defensive back Brian Branch.

Hutchinson sees the additions in the secondary aiding Detroit’s pass-rushing efforts.

“It gets me fired up seeing that, because I think they believe in our pass rush,” the second-year EDGE said, in regard to the defensive back additions made by Holmes. “They believe we’ve got guys that go and get the passer. They just went and got some guys in the backend to make that quarterback hold it for a little bit longer.”

Holmes has been lauded for his efforts in building Detroit’s roster this offseason. He’s acquired multiple impact defenders (i.e. Sutton and Gardner-Johnson), while also adding quality pieces to the offensive side of the ball, such as running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. It, along with the Lions’ resurgence in the second half of last season, has led many pundits to believe that Detroit is in prime position to win its first divisional crown since the 1993 season.

Whether you believe that to be true, there’s no denying the fact that Holmes & Co. are in win-now mode. And, it’s definitely a welcomed development from Hutchinson.

“Looks like the boys are trying to load up on defense, which gets me fired up,” Hutchinson expressed. “Because you know that what Brad and (Lions head coach) Dan (Campbell), what those guys are doing, they’re trying to make the push for right now, getting the DBs, Cam (Sutton) and those guys, and drafting Jack (Campbell), who’s a guy who’s going to be ready Day 1. And, the running back from ‘Bama (Jahmyr Gibbs), who’s also probably going to be … those two positions are kind of ones that, well, Jack is just very developed already. So, you can tell the boys are making a push right now.”