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The Detroit Lions are pondering what to do with their first pick of the 2022 NFL draft, and in recent weeks, the focus has shifted away from that pick to the 32nd pick as it relates to mock draft intrigue.
Yes, the Lions have a complicated situation on their hands with regards to the later pick, but quietly, there could be just as much interest in what happens with the top selection the team makes. For a few months, many have assumed either pass rusher in Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux or Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson will be on the board for the Lions. How about a situation where either could be selected by the team?
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With Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal becoming a new odds-on favorite to become the top pick of Jacksonville, the Lions could soon be forced to choose between players. If that happens, should the Lions go with Hutchinson simply due to the fact that he has a strong local background?
Bleacher Report believes that’s a huge issue to watch when the Lions get set to draft in a few months time. In a recent piece, the site and writer Brent Sobleski look at the one mistake that every team should avoid making in the impending draft. Detroit’s revolves around forcing Hutchinson as the pick simply because he is from a local college team.
Sobleski wrote that “Detroit’s projection of Hutchinson can’t be swayed by the fact he’s a Michigan native,” especially given some of his potential physical limitations when compared with others. As Sobleski also said in his writeup, “the Lions must make sure he’s also the best available talent when they’re on the clock.”
Other previous local stars such as Michigan State quarterback Drew Stanton and wideout Charles Rogers as well as Michigan offensive tackle Jeff Backus have enjoyed various degrees of success close to home. Rogers was sadly a bust, but Staton went on to a long NFL career and Backus was a fixture up front for the Lions. Taking a local player doesn’t necessarily doom them to failure, but it can be hard to succeed in dramatic ways out of their college shadow in town.
In order to be the pick, Hutchinson will indeed have to check every box throughout the next few months if the Lions are lucky enough to get a shot to select him. The team will have to compare him hard against Thibodeaux and other defenders including Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton and LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
If Sobleski is to be believed, the Lions might have to apply even more rigorous standards for Hutchinson this pre-draft period.
Hutchinson Offered Prior Thoughts on Joining Lions
Whether or not the Lions take him in the draft, it’s a fact that Hutchinson grew up in Michigan and was a local star for the Wolverines where he made his biggest mark in the game so far. As a result, what would such a player think about going to one of the worst franchises in the NFL historically to try and right the ship?
After joining The Wheelhouse podcast with Jake Asman, Cody Stoots, & Brad Kellner on Wednesday, December 8, Hutchinson was asked where he stood on some of the teams he could go to. As he explained, he isn’t picky, and would welcome a move to the Houston Texans if it happened. When asked about the Lions, the Michigan football star was honest in that he didn’t grow up a fan of theirs even coming from the state. Even so, he’d be ready to go if selected.
“It was hard being a Lions fan. The Lions have been struggling for a while,” Hutchinson explained on the show. “I actually grew up a Patriots fan with Tom Brady and stuff like that. So I never really loved the Lions too much. But hey, if they pick me, they’re getting it all.”
Hutchinson could be in play to be selected by the Lions in 2022, so only time will tell. Clearly, however, the prospect would be ready to make a big impact for his new team if he was called into the mix.
Hutchinson’s Stats & Highlights
In terms of Hutchinson, several Lions fans will also likely know what he is capable of given his career at Michigan, and the defensive end has put up some solid numbers in school already. Coming into this season, Hutchinson collected 94 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. Here’s some of his work from the past:
This past year, his work was even better. Hutchinson put together a stellar regular season with 14 sacks, 58 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. He’s looked like one of the best defenders in college football throughout the second half of the season and has been a problem for whatever teams have lined up against him thus far. He was also a Heisman Trophy finalist, proving his entire game is stout.
If Hutchinson was to become a member of the Lions, it might be special for the legions of fans who also root for Michigan. It’s not a controversial statement to say the Lions should avoid drafting him just because of that connection alone, but it will be interesting to see how they handle it when the draft comes along anyway.
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