Getty Aidan Hutchinson celebrates a tackle for the Lions in 2022.
The Detroit Lions were thrilled to land Aidan Hutchinson in the 2022 NFL draft, and a big reason why was his overwhelming talent on defense.
In addition to his talent, Hutchinson was a classy player who was seen to be able to represent his team off the field in a proud way as well. That’s just what has been playing out as the offseason gets going.
Hutchinson is fighting to be a top defensive rookie, and even though the competition for such an honor is fierce, that doesn’t change the class of Hutchinson for his fellow competitors.
Recently, he shared a tweet that discussed his feelings for being a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he took time out to congratulate everyone else as well for being honored.
I’m so humbled and grateful to be recognized as a finalist among such an extraordinary rookie class. Rookie year is one of the toughest. Nothing but respect for everyone who balled out.
“I’m so humbled and grateful to be recognized as a finalist among such an extraordinary rookie class. Rookie year is one of the toughest. Nothing but respect for everyone who balled out,” Hutchinson wrote on Twitter.
This tweet shows off the kind of class person that Hutchinson is, and what makes him successful. He has the right mindset on the field, and is very responsible off the field.
Hutchinson Finalist for Top Award, Wins Another
It was a big week for Hutchinson, being that he was named as one of the finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Year after this season.
That news was celebrated by the Lions, who posted about it on Twitter, and showed some of the stats behind why Hutchinson was selected for the award this season, while congratulating him.
.@aidanhutch97 led all rookies with 9.5 sacks and was second with nine tackles for loss in 2022. He also became the first rookie defensive lineman to produce three interceptions in a season.
“Aidan Hutchinson led all rookies with 9.5 sacks and was second with nine tackles for loss in 2022. He also became the first rookie defensive lineman to produce three interceptions in a season,” the team tweeted in praising him for being a finalist.
Not only did Hutchinson earn honors as a finalist for that award, he was also placed on the PFWA All-Rookie team for his work this season, even though he didn’t take home the site’s Rookie of the Year honors.
The pair of Hutchinson as well as linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez were selected to the PFWA All-Rookie team for their work during the 2022-23 season on the field.
While Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner took home Rookie of the Year honors, Hutchinson was called out as a top defensive end by writers in the piece as well as Rodriguez at linebacker. As the piece said, Detroit was one of just seven teams in the league with two all-rookie selections.
Hutchinson is going to be one of the more decorated rookies in the league, even if he doesn’t win the final award. The fact that he has been nominated for these honors shows that he could be set for bigger things in the future.
Hutchinson Enjoyed Solid Rookie Season
This past season, there were few rookies as impactful as Hutchinson was on the field consistently, which is why it makes sense that he would be a finalist
Hutchinson collected 9.5 sacks, most for a rookie player in the league. He also has three interceptions to his credit as well as 52 total tackles. Most of the year, he was a menace to opposing passers, much as he was in the season finale in Week 18 when he sacked Aaron Rodgers:
All year long, Hutchinson made sure to get after it on defense, and led by example all season long with his play. It was a big season for him in a ton of different ways, not the least of which was with class off the field as well.