Mel Kiper makes interesting comparison for Aidan Hutchinson

During a mock draft breakdown appearance on ESPN, Mel Kiper used an interesting source for his NFL comparison player to Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson. Kiper claimed that Hutchinson was very similar to NFL brothers Nick and Joey Bosa, stating they had more in common than the fact that they all wear the No. 97 jersey and the Michigan versus Ohio State rivalry.

Mel Kiper on Aidan Hutchinson

“Coming off that injury, it was a wait and see with Hutchinson,” Kiper started while breaking down Aidan Hutchinson’s draft ranking. “And we saw and we a lot for that Jaxson Kirkland matchup against with the Washington Huskies early on with a couple sacks.  All the way through the year, he kept climbing because he didn’t start out this high, not nearly this high, but then he was climbing and climbing.

“Every week you saw the game-wrecker, you saw the Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa-type in Aidan Hutchinson. That’s why he moved ahead of Kayvon Thibodeaux.  It was that consistency, that game-wrecker pass rusher week-in, week-out off the edge — The inspirational performer that elevated everyone around him that made the Michigan Wolverines that team in the final four in that College Football Playoff environment.

“If it wasn’t for the kind of year that we saw with Bryce Young finishing up and having that great game against Georgia, I think Aidan Hutchinson wins the Heisman Trophy.”

Kiper isn’t alone in thinking so highly of Hutchinson, as the dominant pass rusher is projected as the No. 1 overall pick in mock drafts. Hutchinson’s near-Heisman season has elevated him above early rankings that saw Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux projected to be the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

However, ESPN’s newest draft rankings revealed list Hutchinson taken first while Thibodeaux goes second.

Kiper’s comparison is an interesting one not only for the quality of player that he believes Hutchinson can be at the NFL level. Nick and Joey Bosa both played for Michigan’s fiercest rival Ohio State, adding a layer of weirdness to Kiper’s comparison. The Bosa brothers also wear the No. 97 jersey in their football careers. While the coincidence is interesting in itself, the actual reason that Hutchinson wears the No. 97 jersey is a good story already.

His father, Chris Hutchinson, was an All-America defensive tackle at Michigan from 1989-1992. Hutchinson carried on in his father’s footsteps as a Wolverine as they prepare for a College Football Playoff appearance against Georgia. Chris Hutchinson’s number as a player was No. 97, which is how Aidan Hutchinson came to be known by the same number.

If he keeps the number at the next level, quarterbacks around the NFL will have another reason to watch out for No. 97.