Detroit Lions could wind up with Wolverines Aidan Hutchinson in NFL Draft

The Detroit Lions finished off their season with a win against the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday. The Jacksonville Jaguars wound up beating the Indianapolis Colts to end their respective season, so the draft order leaves the Lions with the second overall pick.

As it stands, the Detroit Lions will pick number two and then again later in the first round with the Los Angeles Rams’ first-round pick from the blockbuster Matthew Stafford trade. Without doing much thinking, the Lions have an easy draft pick who has been training in their backyard.

It’s no secret that Aidan Hutchinson is one of the coveted names among this year’s draft class. The Michigan Wolverines football product had one heck of a 2021 season and vaulted himself into the Heisman conversation as well, finishing second behind Alabama’s Bryce Young in voting.

He will end up being one of the top picks in this year’s draft, and the Lions would be silly not to grab him at number two if he is available. He’s a local product from Plymouth, Michigan, who would be able to play for his hometown Lions.

Detroit Lions could grab hometown hero Aidan Hutchinson in NFL Draft.

The 2021 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is one of the top two options for teams looking for a pass-rusher this offseason. The other player that is as highly ranked and decorated as Hutchinson is Kayvon Thibodeaux, from Oregon State University.

Early predictions would lead to the Jaguars selecting Hutchinson or Thibodeaux, which leaves the other on the table for the Lions to pick. Either way, the Lions are going to be adding an incredible pass-rusher to their defense either way.

If the Lions get lucky, they will be able to bring Hutchinson into their defense and monumentally increase things when it comes to the pass rush. Hutchinson will be able to make a difference in the Lions’ defense after his incredible skills shown at the NCAA level, including his 2021 season performance.

He would play 14 games with the Wolverines, where he had 62 total tackles with 16.5 Tackles For Loss and 14 sacks to pair, which led the Big Ten this past season. It’d be a phenomenal way to spend the second overall pick if the Lions can add Hutchinson.

The one thing standing in the way of Hutchinson being picked by the Lions is if the Jaguars feel he is a better option for them than Thibodeaux if they indeed are going pass-rusher with the first overall pick.

Time will tell, but there’s a real possibility that Hutchinson ends up being there for the Lions to select with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.