Aidan Hutchinson is happy with how it all worked out, landing with his hometown team as the No. 2 pick. And the Lions are happy to have him. The Michigan native just won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for November as he prepares to face the one team that passed on him in the draft last April.
With the first overall pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars took fellow defensive lineman Travon Walker, "so that will definitely be in the back of my head playing that game," Hutchinson said Thursday.
For most of the draft process, Hutchinson thought he was ticketed for Jacksonville. Though he didn't meet with the Jags at the combine, they brought him in for a pre-draft visit and he figured they would call his name at No. 1. That was the word on the street.
"It was weird. I thought I was going there for about three months and then about a week before the draft, something changed. I guess my arms were just not quite long enough," Hutchinson said with a laugh. "But that hit a week before the draft, so we’ll see if that extra couple inches was the difference."
Arm length, as you might recall, was one of the knocks on Hutchinson ahead of the draft. The Heisman finalist had ravaged NFL-level offensive linemen in the Big Ten on his way to setting Michigan's single-season sack record, but some evaluators paused when he measured 32 1/8-inch arms at the combine, unusually short for a player his size. The 6'5 Walker, two inches shorter than Hutchinson, measured 35 1/2-inch arms.
Still, Hutchinson left the combine with a prospect grade from NFL.com of 6.8, which equates to a "Year 1 Starter," and a Next Gen Stats rating of 95, which equals "Elite." Walker left with a prospect grade of 6.5, which equates to "Will Become Good Starter Within Two Years," and a Next Gen Stats rating of 80, which equals "Good." And then on draft night, the Jags took Walker.
"I don’t know," said Hutchinson. "I guess they just didn’t really see me in their system, and that’s fine by me. Detroit did, so I’m here now and I’m happy."
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Both players have been Year 1 starters, for the record. And Walker had the better debut, with a sack and an interception in Week 1. Since then, it's been all Hutchinson. He enters Week 12 leading all rookies in sacks (5.5) and QB pressures (33) and ranks third in run stops (21). He also has two picks. Walker is tied for fifth in sacks (2.5), fifth in QB pressures (24) and tied for fifth in run stops (19).
"I really think I’m making strides and I’m obviously getting some accolades for it, which is cool," Hutchinson said of being named Defensive Rookie of the Month. "But I’m just focused on keep getting better and keep improving and I think I’ll be happy with where I’m at by the end of the year."
So much of their careers are yet to be written. In the end, there's a good chance both teams look smart, the Jaguars for taking Walker and the Lions for taking Hutchinson. One decision does not have to be wrong for the other to be right. Hutchinson and Walker can both be stars.
As their teams prepare to face each for the first time, Hutchinson looks right at home in Detroit.
"Obviously I’m in a good situation here and I’m happy, but draft day you still remember and that will stick with me forever," he said.
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