Should Aidan Hutchinson Be a Draft Target of the Lions?

Former NFL scout Daniel Kelly provides his scouting report on Michigan defensive end/outside linebacker Aidan Hutchinson.

Will Michigan’s very own Aidan Hutchinson be selected by Detroit in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft?

Will this defensive end/stand-up, pass-rushing outside linebacker be a part of the Lions’ defense of the future?

While this is a distinct possibility, it will take a philosophical adjustment by team management to some degree.

First, the Lions will need to be content with quarterback Jared Goff.

Next, they will need to commit themselves to moving on from either OLB Trey Flowers or OLB Romeo Okwara, both of whom are under contract through 2023. Okwara is a wildcard, however, because of the Achilles' injury that could keep him from returning to form for an extended period of time.

Hutchinson is either a 4-3 DE (four down defensive linemen and three linebackers), or he will need to star in one of the two OLB spots in Detroit’s 3-4 base defensive alignment (three down defensive linemen and four linebackers).

That is because Hutchinson is anything but a 3-4 defensive end. A 3-4 DE is a hold-the-point type of physically strong (and bigger), anchoring player who holds up the offensive tackle, so that the linebackers can scrape in and make stops.

That is not Hutchinson. This guy is a pass-rusher.

In November 2020, Hutchinson suffered a leg fracture that required surgery. So far in 2021, Hutchinson has battled back and looked productive. However, in my opinion, his motor is not quite as high as it was on last season’s film prior to the injury. 

Last season, I felt Hutchinson looked like the second-coming of former All-Pro DE Jared Allen. I am not seeing as high of a motor in 2021 (especially against Western Michigan and Michigan State). In fact, he looked relatively soft against Michigan State, which dropped him out of the first-round discussion in my mind. He did blow up against Northwestern, however. 

The scout in me does not think what I have seen on film warrants a first-round pick. But, I know how the NFL works, and I know how teams gush over the pro-day workouts. So, he probably will get selected in the first round. I just do not think he's been consistent or dominant enough to be rated as such. I like him best as a 4-3, hand-down-in-the-dirt defensive end.

Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports

#97 DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson - 6-foot-6, 265 pounds

40-yard dash time: 4.64

Games reviewed: Western Michigan, Northwestern, Michigan State

Grade: Second round

NFL comparable: Mid-late career Ryan Kerrigan 

Scouting Report

Lanky, polished and opportunistic pass-rusher with long arms, a short-area burst and inconsistent motor. Has all the measurables. His inconsistent motor is my chief concern. Featured in Michigan’s defense this season as a stand-up linebacker type. Lacks initial pop and explosiveness at the point of attack, but does have strong raw, natural physical strength. He also uses his hands well. Shows the full arsenal of pass-rushing moves (swim, rip, spin), and while he has just enough speed to beat offensive tackles through the backdoor of the pocket, he excels at the inside-gap rushes. Did not play with enough power to effectively bull-rush. Does have enough juice and burst to the quarterback to be very disruptive when he turns it on. 

Against the run, he is the type who can slice down the line of scrimmage at times to get involved. Moderate involvement. Looked like a fish out of water in space in pass coverage. Did have a blocked field goal vs. Western Michigan. Solid, but he was not dominant enough looking in these three games. His dad is Chris Hutchinson (Michigan defensive tackle and outside linebacker who played from 1989-92), who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cleveland Browns and retired during that training camp. 

While Hutchinson does excite at times and there would be nothing quite like getting the hometown kid in a Lions jersey, I am just not seeing a fit. 

Goff is clearly not capable of leading this team at a high level, and if this regime is going to survive, it is going to have to go quarterback early.

Not only that, but the last thing in the world Detroit needs is another guy who mails it in half the time. If he does not look like a world-beater against Western Michigan and Michigan State, what will he look like against the Packers, Vikings and Bears?