Aidan Hutchinson could not be more satisfied heading into his second NFL season with how he ended up with his hometown Detroit Lions by the luck and fortunes of the draft.
It could have been different. The Jacksonville Jaguars had the first pick and drafted defensive end Travon Walker of Georgia.
That left Hutchinson on the board for the Lions to take the University of Michigan star and the player they coveted in the draft with the second pick.
Hutchinson had a promising rookie season, with 9.5 sacks, three interceptions and three passes defended.
With the Jaguars in town for two days of joint practices and a preseason game at Ford Field on Saturday, Hutchinson was asked Wednesday if he ever thinks how his life would've been different had he been drafted by the Jaguars.
"No," Hutchinson replied. "Nope. I'm happy here. I'm very thankful. It all worked out, it was divine timing.
"The way things unfolded were the way things were supposed to go."
Hutchinson isn't looking back at how things could have been different, but he is more than willing to project what his future brings.
He worked hard in the offseason to improve his skills. With the improvements made on the defense – defensive line, linebacker and secondary – Hutchinson expects to have a big year.
"I think the sky's the limit for me," he said. "I really feel that. I feel like I haven't even scratched my potential yet. I feel like I'm still stacking the days and still getting so much better every day.
"Man, it's going to be a fun year."
