When he came into the NFL, Aidan Hutchinson was a speed-to-power pass rusher with a spin move. That two-dimensional version of the No. 2 pick was good enough to rack up 9.5 sacks and finish second for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He's two thirds of the way to that total through three games this year.
"I've definitely found more ways to be three-dimensional as a pass rusher, as in counter, power and set the edge," Hutchinson said earlier this month, a few days before exploding for 4.5 sacks against the Bucs. "I think if you can have all three of those things, you can be pretty dangerous as a pass rusher."
Hutchinson has been the most dangerous pass rusher to kick off his third NFL season. He doesn't just lead the league in sacks (6.5). He leads in quarterback pressures (25) and pass rush win rate (37.9 percent), per Pro Football Focus. Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett rank second in those two categories, respectively, a pair of perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidates. You can throw Hutchinson in that conversation.
On Friday, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was asked about helping players develop certain pass-rushing moves. He pointed right to Hutchinson and said that as a rookie, the former No. 2 pick would "always spin outside." Lions new defensive line coach Terrell Williams "is teaching him to spin inside," said Glenn, "and that move has worked well for him."
We take you to the fourth quarter last week, the Lions leading the Cardinals by 10 with five minutes to play. With Arizona's offense approaching the red zone, Hutchinson hit left tackle and former sixth overall pick Paris Johnson with a chop move that he'd been using all game, but paired it with an inside spin. Johnson was thrown totally off balance and Hutchinson got home to sack Kyler Murray for a seven-yard loss. The Cardinals had to settle for a field goal two plays later and didn't touch the ball again.
The chop-spin is new to Hutchinson's pass-rushing arsenal, "something that I've developed" over the past couple years, he said.
"I’ve had the spin, but now you can combine the spin and make it look like different things beforehand, and that makes it a little bit more effective. You throw a bunch of chops in the game and it looks exactly the same until -- snap of the fingers -- the moment of impact. That’s what it’s all about."
Former NFL offensive lineman and Audacy NFL insider Brian Baldginer broke down some of Hutchinson's film against the Cardinals and noted, first of all, how tirelessly he defended the run. Indeed, Hutchinson had a season-high six tackles as the Lions held James Conner to his worst rushing game in more than four years. (Just another day for their elite rushing defense.)
Baldinger also pointed out that Hutchinson hadn't used the spin move until he broke it out for his sack, catching Johnson by surprise at a key juncture of the game. That's a savvy set-up by a player who's still coming into his own in the NFL. Hutchinson turned 24 in August.
"Are we looking at a potential J.J. Watt-type player in this league?" Baldinger said. "Because he’s dominant right now, absolutely dominant, the way J.J. was for a good four-year stretch."
Watt, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, weighed in on Hutchinson himself last week and said, "Guy’s a beast. He’s a freak. It’s awesome to watch. He clearly works on his game. He’s got some great techniques, great tactics."
And he's only just begun.