When Aidan Hutchinson leaves Michigan next year, he might be headed for Detroit. Take it from his coach. Jim Harbaugh said Monday that on top of deserving consideration for the Heisman Trophy, Hutchinson should go No. 1 in the 2022 NFL Draft -- where the Lions are slated to have the No. 1 pick.
As "a message for NFL scouts and teams," Harbaugh said "if there’s a better player out there that’s draft eligible than Aidan Hutchinson, I have not seen that player. And I can tell you what I have seen: every single down he plays, he doesn’t take a play off -- quite the opposite."
Michigan's star defensive end ransacked Ohio State's offensive line last Saturday with a bevy of NFL teams watching from the press box, including the Lions. He racked up 15 QB pressures, most in a game by any player since Pro Football Focus began tracking the stat in 2014, and he notched three sacks to set the single-season record at Michigan with 13. He was unstoppable from start to finish -- against an O-line featuring NFL talent.
"And he’s the same way in practice," said Harbaugh. "Athletically, strength, speed, you gotta check every single box, on and off the field. I don’t know who will have the first pick in the draft, but they should study very thoroughly Aidan Hutchinson. And they should take him."
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In a draft that doesn't feature any elite quarterbacks, Hutchinson is emerging as the favorite to go No. 1. He was the best pass rusher and the best overall defensive player in the country this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux is another candidate to go first overall. Both players would instantly help a Lions defense that has the second fewest sacks in the NFL.
If it were up to Harbaugh, Hutchinson would be the pick.
"Freaky athletic in terms of strength, speed, flexibility. But also, his work ethic takes all those gifts and accentuates them a thousand-fold," Harbaugh said. "The intensity, you see it in the games, down after down. People applaud that and they should, because there’s some guys who take plays off. Aidan never takes a play off. But what you don’t see is what he does at practice. Trying to win every single rep like it was third and 6 during a game. Also in the weight room. Every running workout we do. He’s just an animal. And it’s completely contagious; David Ojabo has fully caught that as well.
"Where do you start, where do you go? There are so many superlatives. He’s a football player. He’s a stalwart. Those would be the two words that jump into my mind."
Next year, Hutchinson might be a stalwart for the Lions.