Top NFL Draft prospect Aidan Hutchinson: 'I don't think I'm even close' to reaching potential

Former Michigan Wolverines football defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has racked up quite a few accolades in his career. He was the 2021 Heisman runner-up, set the Michigan single-season sack record with 14, led the Wolverines to their first Big Ten title since 2004 and could very well become the 2022 NFL Draft‘s No. 1 overall pick.

But Hutchinson isn’t a finished product, of course, and he’s the first to admit it. He’s nowhere near his potential, he said on The Marty Smith Podcast presented by Outsider, a media and lifestyle company that, per its mission, “celebrates American culture through the entertainment, sports, and news we cover and the authentic goods we create.”

“To be honest with you, I don’t think I’m even close,” the Michigan star said of reaching his potential, discussing with co-hosts Marty Smith, an ESPN reporter, and Wes Blankenship. “I made a lot of strides in my game this past season, but I get so much better every single year. I’m only 21 years old, so I have a lot more room to grow. I just think I have way more potential to reach, in terms of my football game.

“My plan is to unlock those levels once I get into the NFL.”

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Hutchinson has been the most common pick to be the No. 1 overall selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars come Thursday’s draft (April 28). And while he would become Michigan’s third-ever first overall draft choice and join an elite club, Hutchinson is less worried about the position in which he’s chosen than he is the fit with his new team.

“It would definitely be cool, because going No. 1 would be something cool that I can hang onto later in life,” Hutchinson explained. “But at the end of the day, as long as I’m going to the right culture, the right fit, where I’m going to get the most out of my career is where I’m going to be happy.

“Whether I go No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as I’m being put in an environment where I’m capable of succeeding.”

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After all, he said, it’s out of his hands. He lived up to the hype during the pre-draft process, which included elite showings at the NFL Combine — where he led all defensive ends in the three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle — and Michigan’s pro day. Now, his fate is in the hands of the NFL teams with picks at the top of the draft.

“It was a good process,” Hutchinson said. “I love football, and the combine was something growing up that I was always watching. You always watch these guys do their 40s, do this, do that, and I was training for it. That was great, and then getting to that day, I was definitely more nervous than I thought I was going to be. You get to that 40 line, you’re like, that looks a little longer than it did on TV. 

“I was definitely a little more nervous for it than I thought, but pro day, combine, they both went really great. I prepped and I worked as hard as I could to get my best results, so I’m happy and have no regrets. I’m moving on now — my application is complete — so now I’m just moving on to the draft.”

One thing that may be in his hands is what kind of deal he can put together to entice a potential future teammate to switch jersey numbers with him. Hutchinson has long wore No. 97, the same digits his father, former Michigan All-American defensive lineman Chris Hutchinson, wore in Ann Arbor. He intends on keeping that tradition going at the next level.

“My username on Instagram and Twitter is ‘AidanHutch97,’ so it’s part of the brand,” Hutchinson said with a laugh. “I feel like 97 is just a part of me now, so to be honest with you, I’d give up a whole lot to get that 97. In terms of money, I don’t know. I don’t know. It would definitely be a negotiation, but I’m gonna need that 97 once I get to the league. Hopefully there’s not some crazy player on whatever team I go to that wears it.”

Going back to his days at Michigan, Hutchinson has been open about how he is a proponent of visualizing his goals. That hasn’t changed, and he’s already played out draft night in his head.

“It’s very important to think about that, to think about the future from that standpoint,” Hutchinson said. “Just visualizing all of those feelings you get and bringing them into the present moment. It’s something I actually do a lot, with not only getting drafted but also other things, other accolades that you strive to achieve. I always visualize myself in that moment, getting that award and how that makes me feel.

“I’m focused right now, but I’m also getting ready for that draft, getting ready for that day and how it’s going to feel.”