Aidan Hutchinson has to admit: he didn't love the idea of rushing from the interior this season. He's an edge rusher by trade. That's why the Lions drafted him second overall. Moving inside to get after the quarterback is "a little foreign to me -- or it was, especially last year," Hutchinson said Thursday.
"It’s not technically my No. 1 what I’m comfortable with," he said.
The bulk of Hutchinson's work remains on the edge. If it ain't broke, right? But he's also starting to wreak some havoc inside, like when he barreled through Falcons rookie guard Matthew Bergeron and strip-sacked Desmond Ridder -- and recovered the fumble -- to seal the Lions' win in Week 3. He also slipped inside after lining up outside on his second snap in last week's win over the Packers and all but planted guard and former Michigan teammate Jon Runyan in Jordan Love's lap for a nine-yard loss.
"I like moving around, because I can rush inside," said Hutchinson. "I feel like I've got a lot of confidence with it this year compared to last year, and now it's something that I want to do. If there is a not-so-great guard, I want to be the guy to line up on him and attack him and attack the weakness of the O-line."
It can be crowded in the trenches. Hutchinson, who prefers to use his speed in space, said that "for a while, I didn't want to accept" rushing on the interior. Then he had a conversation this summer with Lions senior defensive assistant John Fox, hired by Dan Campbell this offseason, and decided, "F it, dude, I'm here. Might as well just go."
"I feel like it was a mindset change more than a move learned," Hutchinson said.
"John Fox came up to me in camp and was telling me when Michael Strahan broke the sack record that like half of his sacks were on the interior. He was saying every edge guy, none of them want to rush inside, but it can be a lot easier, just depending on how things go, to get production," Hutchinson said. "After I heard that, I kinda just committed to it and was like, 'Alright, screw it, dude. I'm gonna just listen to the old man and do it.'"
The 68-year-old Fox would know. He was defensive coordinator of the Giants when Strahan broke the NFL's single-season record in 2001 with 22.5 sacks, a mark that still stands today. (T.J. Watt tied the record in 2021). Asked if he fact-checked Fox, who would later spend 16 seasons as a head coach for the Panthers, Broncos and Bears, Hutchinson laughed and said, "He could've been bullsh*ttin'."
"But it felt like old-man wisdom where it was, like, the universe, came to me and I was like, alright, I’m gonna listen to it and ride with it, you know?" said Hutchinson. "And it's been working out. We were just talking about it today."
The 23-year-old Hutchinson is off to a torrid start in his second season with the Lions. He has 27 quarterback pressures through four games, tied for first in the NFL with Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby, per Pro Football Focus. Next in line in pressures? Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald and Watt. (Then Khalil Mack, Nick Bosa and Jalen Carter.) And while Hutchinson only has 3.5 sacks to show for it, that basically puts him on pace to tie the Lions' single-season record of 15 sacks, set by Robert Porcher in 1999.
And he feels like he's just getting started.
"I feel like I’m getting better every week, which is good. Every time I play a game I feel like I get so much better and I’m going to continue to do that. I’m happy with how I’ve played, but I still feel like there are way more levels to unlock in this game," Hutchinson said.
Hutchinson is also shouldering a huge workload for the second year in a row. He's played the fifth most snaps in the NFL among defensive ends and far more than any other player on Detroit's defensive line. This caught up to him last season, when he lost muscle as the year progressed due to illnesses and fatigue, even as he seemed to get stronger. Part of the problem, Hutchinson admitted this spring, was his diet. He made a point to fix that this offseason.
"Yeah, I can say I haven't had a chicken caesar or a chicken finger pita in a while, even though those things are elite," he said. "I've got priorities now and I know what to put my energy into, so nutrition is huge."
These days, Hutchinson said with a smile, "it’s filets, salmons, chicken. Brown rice, quinoa, salads, fruits. I mean, I got it all right now."
He's starting to do it all for the Lions, at least up front. On top of the pass-rushing, Hutchinson has helped fuel their top-ranked run defense, which is allowing just 61 yards per game and 3.0 yards per carry. But it's his versatility getting to the quarterback that really pushes Hutchinson's NFL ceiling higher.
The Lions and Aaron Glenn deserve credit here for finding new ways to take advantage of his natural talent. Where an interior defensive lineman generally has a hand in the dirt, Hutchinson said that when he's rushing as a 3-tech between the guard and the tackle, where "it's tight spaces and everything hits a lot faster, they've given me a little freedom that I can stand up and just freestyle a little bit."
Which is exactly what he did on his strip-sack of Ridder.
"That's where I feel like I'm at my best," said Hutchinson, "is when I can just go and not think."
Again, Hutchinson would be lying if he said he didn't prefer rushing from the edge. That's where the glamour resides on the defensive line, to go with the money and fame. And that's where he'll make his name in the NFL.
"Of course, it’s a pretty position," Hutchinson said. "It’s what I like to be. But I’m good with moving around now and being versatile."