Getty Aidan Hutchinson jogs on the field for the Lions in 2022.
The Detroit Lions aren’t having the season they want on the field, but a big boost to the team has shown up in the form of their 2022 rookie class.
Detroit’s had a lot of players that have stepped up one by one, and in some cases, perhaps become future stars in the league. But how can their top picks be graded for what has played out thus far?
There hasn’t been a lot of answers for that offered, but Bleacher Report and writer Kristopher Knox provided a bit of a roadmap to that with a new piece.
At the midway point of the season, the site graded every first round pick, and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson ended up taking home one of the best grades of the first round.
Knox gave Hutchinson an A- for his work so far this season, and has pointed out that he feels good about the trajectory of his career relative to where he’s at and what he has shown so far.
“As might be expected of a rookie, Hutchinson’s bright moments have come sporadically—he’s had three games with one or fewer tackles—so it’s too early to call this selection a home run. However, he has shown that he’s capable of being the sort of difference-maker the Lions defense needs,” he wrote.
Many might forget the Lions had another first round pick, but wideout Jameson Williams is on the roster and pushing for a return. Knox gave him an “incomplete” grade for his work given he has been out, and that’s only fair relative to what he has been able to do.
“We’re eager to see what Williams can bring to the Lions, but until he makes his debut, he remains an unknown,” Knox said.
One solid player and one unknown who could turn out to be great. In terms of a first round performance by Brad Holmes, that isn’t half bad for the Lions.
As the season goes on, watch for these players to continue to grow and develop with the team.
Hutchinson Enjoying Productive Rookie Season
Even as the opposition is paying him attention, it’s clear that Hutchinson has some breakout ability early in his career. Already, he has surged to the top of some NFL leaderboards to start the season.
So far this season, Hutchinson has raked in the pressures up front, and has been the best rookie in the league in terms of pressuring the pocket.
In addition to all that pocket pressure, Hutchinson has paid things off with 4.5 sacks and 20 tackles. Additionally, he made perhaps his biggest play in his young Lions career soaring for a game-changing interception in the red zone.
First career pick for the first round pick❗️
#GBvsDET | 📺 FOX
Coming into the year, many wondered if Hutchinson could contend for Rookie of the Year and other top honors. His performance so far shows why that could be the case, providing he can put up some numbers moving forward in the second half even as folks target him up front for more attention.
Hutchinson has a definite target on his back to start the season in terms of the opposition, so it will be fascinating to see if he can fight through and continue to play a starring role for the team. So far, so good as it relates to that.
Williams Likely to Play Bigger Role With Lions
As was aptly pointed out by Knox, at this point in time, it’s simply impossible to call Williams a bust or grade him at all relative to what he has been able to do thus far in his career.
Given the ACL recovery, it was always going to take longer to see Williams come back into the mix, and the Lions were smart not to rush him to come back, even though they likely could have tried given the need on their offense for playmaking.
Speaking to the media before practice on Wednesday, October 19, Dan Campbell was asked about Williams and provided his most recent update to date about the recovering star. As he admitted to the media including Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Williams turned things in a good direction this fall and is coming on strong now. As a result, he thinks he’ll play in 2022.
Campbell on Jameson Williams: “We feel like he’s really coming on.” Said Lions are optimistic WIlliams will play this year. “When he’s ready we’ll get him up and ready to go.” Said timetable won’t be rushed by injuries at WR
Campbell on Jameson Williams: “We feel like he’s really coming on.” Said Lions are optimistic Williams will play this year. “When he’s ready we’ll get him up and ready to go.” Said timetable won’t be rushed by injuries at WR,” Birkett tweeted.
When Williams does show back up on the field, it’s more than likely that he will be able to make a major instant impact. If he is able to do that, he might quickly be able to reverse the very fair “incomplete” grade he has been given in short order.