Aidan Hutchinson emerges as No. 1 overall prospect in 2022 NFL Draft
Michigan football defensive end Aidan Hutchinson won the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year award on Tuesday. The long line of praise is expected to continue well into the 2022 NFL Draft process.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler was the latest draft analyst to place Hutchinson at the top of the board. As of now, he would staying in Michigan with the hometown Detroit Lions.
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“The winless Lions need a long-term answer at quarterback, weapons at wide receiver and help at every level of the defense,” Brugler writes. “This draft class doesn’t have a quarterback or pass-catching option worthy of a top-five pick, but there are several defensive players worth considering at No. 1. While Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux is the favorite to be drafted first, Hutchinson, who grew up just outside of Detroit, checks every box for the Lions as they rebuild the roster.
“Athleticism? Hutchinson was No. 2 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List for a reason and will test well at the combine. Production? Hutchinson set the Michigan single-season sack record (13 sacks and counting) and currently ranks No. 2 in college football with 68 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Intangibles? This is what truly sets Hutchinson apart. His competitive makeup is rare and raises the level of his teammates. If you included the players from this past April’s draft in the 2022 class, Hutchinson might not be drafted in the top 10. But he embodies a lot of the traits that head coach Dan Campbell craves and it wouldn’t be a surprise if a team like Detroit settles on Hutchinson at the top of its board.”
Hutchinson has a program-record 13 sacks this season for Michigan and has been a nightmare off the edge. He has at least two more games (and potentially a third) to add to that total. TheWolverine.com spoke to Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy in October, who said his rise through draft ranks is hardly surprising.
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“I don’t think Aidan is any different of a player than I’ve seen from past years, to be honest,” he said. “He’s always been a really good athlete and played really hard. He’s always been disruptive. The biggest thing this year is that he’s finishing more on the quarterback. That’s translated into numbers that show up on paper.
“It looks like he’s taken this big jump as a player, but when you put on the tape, it’s pretty similar to the past. Aidan has always had a ton of ability.”
Hutchinson and Michigan football will look to capture their first Big Ten Championship since 2004 on Saturday night against Iowa.
