Wolverine TV Podcast: Balas & Skene with Chris Hutchinson- Aidan Hutchinson draft night & more
Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson went No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions, and the franchise didn’t wait a second to turn in the pick. Hutchinson was a possibility to go No. 1 overall, but now he’ll play for his hometown team. He recently signed a $36 million deal with a $23 million signing bonus.
Chris Balas and Doug Skene broke down NFL Draft night with Chris Hutchinson, Aidan’s father and another former Michigan All-American.
RELATED: Aidan Hutchinson signs his deal with the Detroit Lions
Hutchinson said after the draft Detroit was where he wanted to be all along. He’ll be close to home, fits well in theLions’ defensive plans and is perfect with head coach Dan Campbell.
“It was such an honor to be on that stage to be picked by the Lions. It was the Lions all the way,” Hutchinson said immediately after the draft. “The whole draft process, I wanted them to pick me. And I’m so grateful that I went No. 2 to them. It was so good …”
The Lions flew them to Detroit from Las Vegas via private jet and introduced him. They had jerseys made for the entire family and treated them like royalty. In fact, Chris Hutchinson said, it felt “right,” just like it did when Aidan was being recruited by Michigan.
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Hutchinson and Campbell both talked throughout the process about how they saw football the same way.
“He’s just one of those guys that you want to play for, and just by the way he composes himself and does his business,” Hutchinson said. “He’s just one of those guys that you want to buy into, because you can tell how passionate he is about the game.
“I didn’t have to meet him. Just seeing him in interviews and seeing how he even interacts with reporters and how he felt about his team. It just felt so genuine. That’s really what I appreciate the most.”
Hutchinson ranked third in the FBS with 14 sacks and notched 16.5 tackles for loss among his 62 stops. He also broke up three passes and forced two fumbles in 14 games. He earned praise for his play and from analysts after his career ended.
“With the year he had, his attitude, approach and energy and how he makes everyone around him better,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said, “he’s the best pass rusher in this draft.”
