Dearborn native and Michigan product Aidan Hutchinson wasn't a Lions fan growing up, for the same reason they have a shot to draft him Thursday night: they weren't very good.
But Hutchinson knows their story. He knows the depth of their struggle -- 64 years and counting without a championship, 30 years and counting without a playoff win. And he knows how much they mean to his fellow Michiganders.
So if Hutchinson were to wind up with the Lions as the second overall pick in the draft ... "It would be crazy," he said Wednesday on NFL Total Access.
"Especially the things that I did at Michigan, if I were to go home back to Detroit, be close to family, it would make the transition easier. But also, if we were to start winning in Detroit, it could be special, for sure," Hutchinson said.
Fresh off setting Michigan's single-season sack record, Hutchinson would be a boon for a Lions defense that produced the third fewest sacks in the NFL last season. He has also spoken highly of Dan Campbell and "how he treats his players."
"Just a couple more pieces to the puzzle and I think they can be a really good football team," Hutchinson said earlier this offseason.
Hutchinson will be off the board quickly Thursday night, almost certainly within the first two picks: either No. 1 to Jacksonville or No. 2 to Detroit.
The decision makers for the Jags are reportedly torn between Hutchinson, Georgia DL Travon Walker and NC State OT Ikey Ekwonu. If Jacksonville veers away from Hutchinson, Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes and the Lions likely won't think twice about bringing him home.
"I do it all, on and off the field," Hutchinson said. "I'm extremely athletic and I produce obviously on the field: I had 14 sacks last year. And coming from a Michigan team that went 2-4 my junior year, I really had to step up as a leader and be that cornerstone of the football team. So I think in terms of leadership, athletic ability and production, I check all the boxes."
If he can check them for his hometown team, even better.
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