When the Detroit Lions drafted Aidan Hutchinson back in 2022, they landed a star — and one of the NFL’s top young edge rushers. But if you ask general manager Brad Holmes, there’s been an unexpected side effect ever since: some fans have been “mad” about it.
Not mad at Hutchinson himself — mad that the Lions haven’t found another player just like him to pair on the opposite side.
Finding Another Hutchinson Isn’t Easy
Appearing this week on 97.1 The Ticket, Holmes opened up about the ongoing chatter surrounding Detroit’s pass rush, especially after the team waited until the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft to grab an edge rusher (Ahmed Hassanein out of Boise State).
“They’re hard to find, they’re hard to get, they’re hard to acquire,” Holmes said as quoted by Lions OnSI. “But I have felt like, ever since we have acquired Aidan Hutchinson, as great of a player he is, I have always felt like the fan base is almost mad. Like, they’re mad because we have Aidan Hutchinson. Because, now, he’s so good, well why don’t you have two of them.”
It’s a fair point. Hutchinson is a game-changer — but finding a second elite pass rusher isn’t as simple as just putting one in your shopping cart on Draft Day.
Building a Team, Not Just an Edge Room
Holmes also explained that elite edge rushers are among the rarest assets in football, and Detroit’s careful player evaluation process means they won’t reach for players who don’t fit the team’s high standards.
“I have been curious, the teams that have those five or six elite edge rushers in other media markets, I have been curious,” Holmes said. “Okay, we have an elite edge rusher, all we’re gonna ask is about edge rusher. You have an elite one, but all you’re asking about is, ‘How come you don’t have another one?’ Now you get into the — are you trying to build a football team? Or are you trying to just pair ends?”
In other words, it’s not just about chasing another Hutchinson. It’s about building a complete team — something the Lions have done exceptionally well the past few years.
The Bottom Line
It’s easy to get caught up in wanting another dominant pass rusher. But when you already have one of the best young players in the league, and a roster that just went 15–2, maybe patience isn’t such a bad thing.
Brad Holmes knows what he’s doing. And if Isaac TeSlaa, Tyleik Williams, and others pan out like Detroit hopes, fans will have plenty to cheer about — even without two Hutchinsons.
