Player: Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan.
Pick: Round 1, 2nd overall.
Ht.Wt. 6-7, 260.
Combine results: 4.74 40-yard dash with 10-yard split of 1.61; 36-inch vertical jump, 9 feet, 9 inch standing broad jump.
Stats: Four-year player from 2018-21. Played 43 games, starting all 14 he played in his final season. 160 career tackles, set career highs of 16.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks in his final season in Ann Arbor. Big hands (10.25) with relatively short arms (32.125).
Bio: A Metro Detroit native from Plymouth and played at Dearborn Divine Child High School, a perennial football power. An all-out player, he'd give the Lions a lift on the field and at the box office as a player well known to Lions fans. Hutchinson's father, Chris, played defensive line and linebacker for Michigan from 1989-92 and made first-team All American in 1992.
Edge rusher/outside linebacker offseason roster: Rashod Berry, Austin Bryant, Charles Harris, Jessie Lemonier, Julian Okwara, Romeo Okwara.
Hutchinson quote: "The whole draft, I wanted them to pick me."
Analyst's take from Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network: "Hutchinson is an ultra-productive edge rusher with ideal size, quickness and polish. He stood up this past season in defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald's system. As a pass rusher he has a quick first step and a wide variety of hand moves to generate pressures/sacks. He doesn't have elite bend at the top of his rush, but once free he has an impressive closing burst. Hutchinson isn't in the category of the Bosa brothers, but he isn't far behind."
Jeremiah has Hutchinson rated No. 1 in his final top 150 players ranking.
Tim Twentyman's take: With Jacksonville going Travon Walker at No. 1, one of the best pure pass rushers in this draft falls to Brad Holmes and the Lions at No. 2. Hutchinson has terrific size and strength, which should allow him to play up and down coordinator Aaron Glenn's defensive line. He's expected to slot into one of the defensive end spots in Detroit's new 4-3 base defense and give them an elite pass rusher off the edge.
Mike O'Hara's take: There is a lot to like about Hutchinson, and not just because he's a home-grown prospect. He's a big man who made big plays in big games for Michigan in the 2021 season. He had three sacks in a key win over Penn State, and three sacks in a crucial win over Ohio State. His presence should strengthen the Lions' pass rush.
