Asked about his preferred position as a pass rusher, Aidan Hutchinson didn't blink.
"Definitely a Wide 9," Hutchinson told reporters Friday at the combine. "Just smashing tight ends and smashing tackles."
The Lions haven't had a pass rusher like that since Ziggy Ansah, the last defensive end they drafted in the first round. Hutchinson could be the next one nine years later. If he doesn't go No. 1 to the Jaguars, who might be leaning toward an offensive tackle instead, Hutchinson is the early favorite to land in Detroit at No. 2.
Which sounds pretty good to the All-American from Michigan who grew up in Dearborn (though not rooting for the Lions).
"It would definitely be cool," Hutchinson said. "I’d be living close to home. It would definitely make the transition a bit easier to the NFL, just being so close to home and being close to my parents."
And it would definitely enhance Detroit's pass rush. The Lions ranked third to last in the NFL in sacks last season and they've ranked among the bottom five teams in pressure rate for three years running. Hutchinson had the second most sacks (14) and the third most pressures (74) in the country last season. He also has a non-stop motor and a hunger for football that will appeal to Dan Campbell and the Lions.
"I think my greatest attributes are my instincts," Hutchinson said. "I’m a very intuitive player; it was just in me inherently. And being able to have that on the field allows me to make a lot of plays."
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This will also appeal to the Lions: Hutchinson just helped revive a program that had been dismissed as a national power. The Wolverines won two games in 2020 and were given a two percent chance to win the Big Ten in 2021. Then they went out and did it, with Hutchinson leading the way on defense. On the heels of four straight last place finishes -- not to mention decades of losing -- the Lions could use a spark of their own.
"We rose from the ashes," Hutchinson said. "No one thought we were going to be anything and we did something that many thought was impossible. So I’m hoping wherever I go, we can do the same."
Twice voted a captain at Michigan, Hutchinson wasn't just a leader on the field for the Wolverines. He was a tone-setter off of it. He demanded more from himself and his teammates starting last spring, and the result was one of the best seasons in program history.
"Last year gave me a lot of perspective," Hutchinson said. "My whole career at Michigan I never won anything significant at all. I really wanted to go out with a bang and just do something in my football career for once, from a team perspective. I gained insight on what it's like to win a championship and what kind of team you have to be and how you have to act and how you build the culture.
"I learned how to build and how to be a part of a championship football team."
And he'd like to pick up where he left off in the NFL.
"I want that every year," Hutchinson said with a smile. "I want to win as many Super Bowls as I can. That’s the goal. I just want to win now. I want to win everything. I know it’s not going to happen, but we’re going to try to win them all."
If he can help the Lions even win one, Hutchinson will be a hometown hero unlike any we've ever seen.
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