Burning Question: Can Aidan Hutchinson Transform Lions' Defense?

Peter King revealed 32 questions for 32 NFL teams in his latest NFL column.

The honeymoon period is over for the Detroit Lions' defense. 

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn acknowledged the unit must improve in several facets in his second season in Motown. 

In 2021, the defense struggled pressuring the quarterback, stopping opposing running backs and limiting opponents' production in the second half of games. 

In his latest NFL column, Peter King revealed his 32 questions for the 32 teams in the league. 

For Detroit, King wonders if rookie defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson can transform a listless defense. 

"The Lions, after finishing 30th in the league in sacks last year, need to work in camp on making sure Hutchinson hits the ground running in September," King explained. "There are no good alternatives for coordinator Aaron Glenn’s defense, so grooming Hutchinson is job one on a team that can’t rely on the offense to put up 25 points a game."

Detroit's defense will undergo a slight change along the defensive front, as head coach Dan Campbell revealed the team will flash more of a 4-3 base look along the defensive line, which was a shift from the 3-4 looks the team utilized in 2021. 

The shift reflects the commitment of the coaching staff to a scheme that fits the skills of the players on the roster. 

“I think this is the right thing for us," Campbell said this offseason. "Look, that’s a ton of credit to him (Glenn). I think it’s just we’re trying to do what we say we’re going to do, because some of the things that I believe in and AG believed in were much more, if you will, the 3-4, those three-down packages, Pittsburgh Steelers, a little bit more of the -- and not that we still don’t live in that world. But, for us personnel-wise, what was right and what is right is kind of what we’re going to start moving to, because it suits us well and the ability to adapt for us as coaches and to help our players be the best that they can be, I think is what we’re about. That’s what we said we’re going to be about, because those guys win games. We don’t. It’s the players.”