Lions OLB Coach Explains Why Aidan Hutchinson Can 'Play Faster'

Aidan Hutchinson is expected to improve drastically in 2023.

The Detroit Lions are expecting Aidan Hutchinson to be drastically better in 2023 than he was his rookie campaign in the NFL. 

A full offseason has allowed the former No. 2 overall pick to conduct a thorough self-scout of his abilities, while also continuing his growth in the meeting room and fine-tuning his training regimen. 

Lions outside linebackers coach David Corrao shared on the team's podcast why the talented EDGE rusher is expected to make the second-year jump. 

"The biggest jump sometimes are between year one and year two. Well, why is that? Because in preparation for year one, what are they doing? They're combine training, their pro day workouts, and then they show up in late May, early May and they get, what, six weeks to get ready in an offseason program," Corrao expressed. "Well, now the second-year guys, they've been football training since the end of the season. That's why you see that there's a confidence there now." 

A player entering his second season has gained increased knowledge of assignments and proper alignment, allowing a player of Hutchinson's caliber to focus more on fundamentals and proper techniques. 

"He's progressed to the point where you're not focusing on -- and this is where you want to be, right, you don't want to spend all day on 'Where do I line up and what do I do?' You want that to just be automatic," said Corrao. "Once you've got that experienced confidence that I know what I got to do and I know where I got to do it, now you get to spend more time on how do I do it.  

"And, that's, you know, that's about fundamentals and technique, less alignment and assignment, more fundamentals and technique. And, that's when you see players truly develop," Corrao continued. "When they're not worried about what to do, nah, that's not an issue. Now, I'm just focused. My eyes are on my key and I'm playing. I'm worried about my hands, my feet, and I'm just, 'Where's the ball? Go get the ball.' That's when you see players play fast. And, that's what they talk about the game slows down, because they start to play so much faster."