Getty Aidan Hutchinson on the field for the Lions in the 2022 preseason.
Aidan Hutchinson made his debut for the Detroit Lions during Week 1 of the NFL preseason, and his performance has drawn rave reviews from across the internet.
Perhaps the one analysis that folks should be taking seriously is that of former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger. Routinely, Baldinger posts highlights to Twitter where he reviews players, and his analysis of Hutchinson is particularly good.
Specifically, Baldinger was amazed by how Hutchinson was able to put a veteran lineman on skates.
“I feel like I’m at an F.C. Barcelona game and the crowd is chanting ‘ole ole ole ole.’ As Jake Matthews tries to put a hit on him here, in the backfield. He gets up as fast as he takes the player down,” Baldinger says.
Additionally, Baldinger praises Hutchinson for having enough moves to draw a holding penalty from a lineman.
“On the fourth play he forces this holding call as he tries to get away to go chase (Marcus) Mariota. Oh yeah, they threw the flag,” he says.
As he concludes, Hutchinson was all over the place for the Lions in the one series that he managed to see time.
“Nice debut by Aidan Hutchinson (Friday) night. All over the field in that series that he got,” Baldinger concludes.
Though the series ended in a score, Hutchinson’s highlights were particularly explosive as he shows his technique and looks like a veteran player despite the fact that he is a rookie.
As a whole, it’s nice to see folks embracing Hutchinson and what he does well. Clearly, everyone should be excited for his future after watching this tape.
Hutchinson’s Short Series Showed Talent
Though he didn’t play long, as Baldinger showed in the clips, Hutchinson had a big impact on the game and received tons of praise as a result.
Pro Football Focus called him their highest-graded rookie of the first week of the preseason, while NFL Network analyst Peter Schrager lauded him as “electrifying” on the field. Hutchinson didn’t see many snaps, but it’s become clear he made the most of the ones he did get.
Perhaps that’s the reason Lions fans should feel the best about Hutchinson’s future. The lineman figures to be a mobile piece for the team this coming season and do a ton on the field. That could leave him poised to make a huge impact for a defense that needs it badly.
Hutchinson Reacts to Big Tackle
Speaking to the media after the game, Hutchinson said that he appreciated the play, and also revealed an insight into how he is doing on the field so far.
“I’m just having a lot of fun out there”
“It’s good to have for sure. Always, you want a lot of tackles for-loss. It was really cool. The fan reaction was great. Just having a lot of fun out there,” Hutchinson admitted to the media.
Typically, players that are having fun on the field aren’t overthinking things and are simply playing good football. That seemed like Hutchinson after watching his ability to read and react. This could lead to even better games coming down the pipe.
Already, Hutchinson is looking like a new force in the league in a short amount of time, and it’s something that a former NFL lineman like Baldinger can see even without the benefit of much tape.
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