The excitement from the homegrown talent was palpable.
With the No. 2 overall selection on Day 1 of 2022 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions officially took DE Aidan Hutchinson from the University of Michigan Wolverines.
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This afternoon, he met with media members in person at the team training facility in Allen Park, where he described why he feels that his personal style of play meshes with fiery head coach Dan Campbell, who fans well remember saying that his team would bite the kneecaps off of their opponents.
Watch: @aidanhutch97 meets the media for his introductory press conference.#LionsDraft | @powerhomesolar https://t.co/LU6bpMpMlY
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) April 29, 2022
“I think the playing style is relentless and nasty,” Hutchinson said. “That's what the whole coaching staff was brought here under coach Campbell, and that's the mentality. I think I come in and I bring that same mentality and it's why I'm a perfect fit for the scheme and that Detroit grit.”
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“Just being with this staff, I just think there's a lot of special guys and just talking with them, I know communication is so open,” he continued. “That's critical to having success on a football team, having the player-coach relationship when you can talk to one another and figure stuff out just through communication. Out of all of the visits I had, the Lions were the most seamless because of how smooth it was. It was so easy to talk football and communicated with these coaches, and it will lead to future success for sure.”
Having grown up in the Mitten State, Hutchinson is well aware of the past struggles of the Lions, but can't wait to be part of the solution for the fans who routinely pack Ford Field on Sunday afternoons.
“Not a ton of great memories,” he said with a smile. “We went through the 0-16 season when I was growing up, and I've been to a couple of Lions games and the atmosphere is just great. when the Lions are winning ball games, it's like ‘happy wife, happy life'. The fans are so into it. I just hope that when we have the right pieces coming and with the coaches being right, we can get this ball rolling a little bit.”
Of course, Hutchinson won't be having to go very far from where he is right now and joked that he'd have to stay in his parents' basement.
“I might be living in their basement,” he joked. “It will make the transition easier. I don't know where I”m going to live yet, I just found out a few hours ago that I'd be staying in Detroit, so I have to go house hunting. Being home is definitely going to make the transition to the NFL easier.”
Fantasy football effects of AJ Brown trade
In a first-round full of draft trades, one that stands out above most is the deal between the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles that sent star wide receiver AJ Brown to the Eagles in exchange for picks 18 and 101.
The Titans used the 18th pick to select Arkansas Razorbacks receiver Treylon Burks.
Here's how I project the two offenses in 2022 as a result.
