Just last week, Aidan Hutchinson believed he was destined for Jacksonville. Come Thursday night, there's a growing chance he'll be headed to Detroit.
As the draft draws near, it appears that the Jaguars are moving away from the former Michigan star with the No. 1 pick in favor of either Georgia defensive end Travon Walker or an offensive tackle. Which would be quite the coup for the Lions.
"There’s been a lot of conversation about Aidan Hutchinson going No. 1 overall," Adam Schefter reported Monday. "That seems to be decreasing right now and the focus seems to be on Travon Walker and on Ickey Ekwonu, the NC State offensive tackle. It could even be (Alabama OT) Evan Neal. But it certainly seems like there’s momentum building away from Aidan Hutchinson going No. 1 and toward other players going to Jacksonville."
Per reports, the Jaguars brass is at odds over who to select with its second No. 1 pick in a row. GM Trent Baalke is said to favor Walker, while owner Shad Khan prefers Hutchinson. And that's to say nothing of new head coach Doug Pederson, who may well favor an offensive tackle to help protect franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
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"I think there are different ideas there," said Schefter. "I think Trent Baalke has his own ideas, I think the head coach, Doug Pederson, has his ideas about what they want to do and ultimately they’ve got to come to a decision about what’s best for this franchise. Again, what did the Jaguars do in the draft last year? They drafted a franchise quarterback. Who’s the most important person in that entire organization? The quarterback. So why would you not do everything you could to protect that quarterback? They still need more help on the offensive line.
"They might decide to go with Travon Walker. They might decide to go with Aidan Hutchinson, though that seems less and less likely by the day. I just look at the offensive side of the football and I say, why not help an offensive-minded head coach, why not help a franchise quarterback, why not make a pick like that to protect your future?"
That would be the ideal scenario for the Lions, whose obvious strength is the offensive line. It would leave Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell with the pick of the litter on defense, which is the team's obvious weakness. And Hutchinson would be the most obvious selection, an NFL-ready pass rusher with the attitude and the talent to fit seamlessly into Detroit's defense.
At the combine last month, Hutchinson said he liked the idea of landing with his hometown team -- even if he didn't root for the Lions growing up. Now he might be playing for them next season.
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