It was the pick that everyone in the Motor City had been waiting for.
With the No. 2 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions officially took DE Aidan Hutchinson from the University of Michigan Wolverines.
Welcome home, @aidanhutch97!#LionsDraft | @powerhomesolar pic.twitter.com/GK0G0NxpZH
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) April 29, 2022
Of course, there was good reason for his having been at the top of the NFL Draft thanks to his having set Michigan’s school record with 14 sacks this past season, along with 62 tackles (36 solo tackles) and 16.5 tackles for loss. He’ll certainly bring an immediate boost to Detroit’s defense that ranked third last in the NFL in total sacks with just 30. Of course, they also had the third-fewest quarterback pressures.
The 6’7, 260 lb. Hutchinson is a native of Plymouth, MI, and attended Divine Child High School, approximately 15 minutes from his new professional office at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. And he went into the family business in Ann Arbor, as his father Chris Hutchinson suited up and was a captain for the Wolverines in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Not only this, but his mother Melissa also attended Michigan, as did his sisters, Mia and Aria.
And prior to tonight’s draft, he wasn’t shy about voicing confidence in his abilities which made him one of the finalists for the Heisman Trophy.
“I do it all, on and off the field,” Hutchinson said. “I’m extremely athletic and I produce obviously on the field: I had 14 sacks last year. And coming from a Michigan team that went 2-4 my junior year, I really had to step up as a leader and be that cornerstone of the football team. So I think in terms of leadership, athletic ability, and production, I check all the boxes.”
We’re certainly excited to see what the homegrown Hutchinson will bring to the Detroit Lions in 2022.
– – Quotes via Audacy Link – –
