Getty Aidan Hutchinson sacks Dak Prescott in 2022.
As a rookie, it’s been hard for Aidan Hutchinson to adjust to the NFL on the fly, but he’s been doing a great job overall for the Detroit Lions.
Whether fans want to admit it or not, Hutchinson does have some advantages on his side early on in his career as he learns the league. Against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7, Hutchinson proved how good he is doing at learning on the job.
Revved-up after the bye week, Hutchinson came to play early on and set the tone up front for Detroit. It’s a development that even left rival NFL defensive linemen impressed such as Cameron Jordan.
In a video clip for The33rdTeam, Jordan explained why Hutchinson was so impressive with one of his moves. As he said, the technique Hutchinson shows is very impressive.
.@aidanhutch97 put ’em in a spin cycle 😵💫
@camjordan94 gives the #Lions rookie props for this sack against Dallas 🌀
“We talk abut clinic work, technique? He’s three steps up the field as soon as the ball is snapped. Sinks his center of gravity. Able to pin off the lineman’s shoulder, I say throw that ice pick, probably an old-school term. Throw that high elbow, get yourself in there, Dak Prescott goes down. Aidan Hutchinson with the sack,” Jordan says in the recap.
If there’s a person who would know what a good move looks like in the trenches, it would certainly be Jordan. The defensive lineman has proven to be one of the best players in terms of the pass rush in the league given his 111.5 sacks, 605 tackles and 13 forced fumbles. As a result, he has been a first-team All-Pro in 2017 and a two-time second-team All-Pro in 2018 and 2019.
Hutchinson will continue learning and growing in his quest to become an elite defensive lineman in the NFL. As some who have already made it seem to know, he is well on his way toward having the right tools to get that done.
Hutchinson Stepped up With Week 7 Performance
After going missing in action for a few weeks, Aidan Hutchinson has come screaming back and is once again beginning to look like the player the Lions were lucky to land with the second-overall pick.
Hutchinson had a huge game against Dallas, posting a solid 1.5 sacks and two tackles on the day. As the tape shows, Hutchinson was all around the quarterback, and getting in the face of Dak Prescott:
Another multi-sack game for @aidanhutch97!
An active Hutchinson is a good Hutchinson for the Lions, which means the Detroit defense could be set to do some serious winning up front in the future. All-told, Hutchinson has had a good start to the season, but him coming on would be even better news.
Hutchinson Enjoying Solid Rookie Season
Thus far, Hutchinson is proving his worth as an edge rusher to the Lions in a big way. While he struggled early on in the year with getting sacks and stats, that hasn’t stopped him from being around the quarterback constantly.
Hutchinson continues to pursue the quarterback, and through Week 7, he has tied for the most total pressures by a rookie with 19. That’s something which PFF recently pointed out in a tweet:
Aidan Hutchinson: 19 total pressures
Tied for the most among rookies💪
Statistically, Hutchinson has put up a total of 17 tackles and 4.5 sacks. He has been a menace in the pocket most of the season, and continues to show why he was a top draft pick.
It feels likely that Hutchinson will finish the season with double-digit sacks with as active as he has been. In the end, the reasoning might have everything to do with his moves on the field, which are quickly developing and impressive according to some of his NFL co-workers.