The Detroit Lions are looking to unlock the star power of Aidan Hutchinson.
The defensive end has had a strong start to his career over two seasons, notching 21 career sacks. Last year, he led the entire NFL in pressures as well in what was a strong effort.
Still, the Michigan product has room to grow as he looks to cement himself amongst the game's elite. Two weeks into organized team activities, he admitted that he's feeling good about his progress as a player this offseason.
“I definitely feel like I’ve reached a new level this year in pass-rush and just body comp in general," Hutchinson said. "I feel like that’s what happens when you stack years in professional sports. Your body comp gets better, you get more flexible, you get more bend, it’s just everything that you want. As long as you treat your body and mind and soul right every year, it only compounds.”
A knock on Hutchinson last year was his lack of production in the sack department. Before a late-season surge, the defender was held without a sack for several weeks.
Still, he managed to make a positive impact on the defense with his ability to disrupt the passer. This has proven to be a major strength of his, one that Dan Campbell says is a huge asset to the defense even when he's not taking down the quarterback.
“Yeah, sacks aren’t that big of a deal, as long as you’re getting the pressures, and those pressures show up that affect the quarterback negatively," Campbell said. "Now, would you rather have sacks? Absolutely, I would rather have sacks. Right? Your loss of yardage, all those things. But the pressures are more to me than – pressure that affects the quarterback – we watched a couple of clips this morning in front of the team. The quarterback’s wanting to step up, he can’t step up, the throw is high, he’s flipping to his right, he can’t get his hips around and he threw a pick."
"So, these things that end up in negative plays, whether it’s incomplete, it’s turnovers, it’s whatever, I’ll take those all day long. So, look, Hutch is going to continue to improve. Whether those come in sacks or not, I already know he’s going to be better. You know what I mean? That’s just the way he is, the way he works. It’s like (WR Amon-Ra St. Brown) Saint. I mean you’re going to be able to count on the production he’s going to bring.”
49ers loss 'still stings'
Hutchinson and the rest of the Lions experienced the highest of highs last year, climbing to an early lead in the NFC championship game before ultimately collapsing and falling short.
As the team looks to rebound from that loss, Hutchinson admitted that he looks back on the game but doesn't engage with the hypotheticals that naturally come as a result.
“It still stings a little bit, but it’s good. You think about it, you wonder if we would’ve won that game, would we have won the Super Bowl?" Hutchinson said. "You can always ask those questions. But I feel like having that experience now, from our young team going that far in the playoffs, is only gonna serve us in the future.”
With their playoff run, the Lions won't be surprising anyone with success in 2024. Instead, the mission is to prove that the organization is a long-term contender.
Hutchinson is a big part of the team's young core, and can be a difference maker as a result. With the offseason workout program in full swing, the vibe of the team is one brimming with confidence.
“It’s where we wanted to be and it took a couple years for sure, but I think we’re in a great spot right now. We’ve got everything ahead of us and I think confidence is at an all-time high. Just knowing, I feel like last year a lot of people doubted us a lot just because of the history, the ‘Same Old Lions,’ this and that. But I feel like this year, we have more of a knowing in ourselves and what we can do and how we can compete against the best team. I really think a lot of those narratives have flipped in the past couple years, or this year I think. I think it changes confidence as a team.”
Notes
Hutchinson confirmed that he will be playing in the Area 313 Celebrity Scramble on June 25 ahead of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at the Detroit Golf Club. The defender said he believes that his teammate from the PGA Tour will be Rickie Fowler.
The former University of Michigan star will make his debut alongside Calvin Johnson, Chris Webber and Tom Izzo.
