When the Detroit Lions selected Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 2 overall pick, the hope for most fans was that he would eventually learn the NFL ropes and develop into a solid defensive player.
According to just about anyone you talk to, Hutchinson has been extremely impressive ever since the day he first walked into the Lions' practice facility in Allen Park and he has carried that onto the field with him during the preseason.
After T.J. Hockenson delivered Hutchinson with his ‘Welcome to the NFL' moment early in camp, Lions head coach Dan Campbell assured everybody that it would be one of the only times it happens moving forward.
“Well, the first reaction is — it’s welcome to the NFL,” Campbell said of the Hockenson block. “That’s something he hadn’t seen or he’s not even thinking about that. He’s thinking about — his rear’s up in the air and he’s going to get his best rush against Sewell, and all of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Woah.’
“But that’s — he’s not the first one that’s happened to — a young guy that comes in (and gets pancaked from another direction). And so, he’ll memory bank that and I’m telling you he’ll — it may happen one more time and I bet that’s about it. Because he picks up things pretty quick, but listen, it’s good to see, it really is. He needs that.”
Aidan Hutchinson is just a rookie be he ‘does not make a mistake'
One person who has been an extremely big fan of Aidan Hutchinson from the get-go is Lions' defensive line coach, Todd Wash.
In fact, it seems like Wash is more and more impressed with Hutchinson each and every time he speaks to the media.
“Hutch is, he's a pro already,” Wash commented. “The way he studies and works. We had a play that we ran today that he has never seen it before. And he goes, ‘Well, our offense does this.' I said, ‘Well, we're not playing our damn offense.' So then we rerun it, and he gets it right away.
“It's amazing how well he can pick stuff up. He does not make a mistake. Not even usually the first time. So it's a credit to him. He studies and he takes care of his body. And probably more importantly, he's just a great human being in the room. He fits in extremely well. The guys are really loving it. It's awesome.”
Nation, what is your expectation for Aidan Hutchinson during his rookie season with the Detroit Lions
