Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said this about Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson shortly after the Detroit Lions selected the Michigan man with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. If you’re not familiar with Hutchinson, I took a deep look at his history as a player at Ann Arbor and how he developed into the best player in this draft when I argued why the Lions had to draft Hutchinson. On the track, I highlighted his progress through Michigan’s defensive line made him a dynamic player capable of playing in any shape, something that Glen echoed in his press conference. “Obviously, he can go to extremes, okay? “He is big, so he can come in third and play technique 3,” said Glenn. “And when we look at this guy, I mean the first thing I try to do with every player is, dude, train games, how can we get the best out of this player, how can we make this player successful. These are some of the things we thought about. I mean he’s the tough, aggressive, violent guy we need. “Obviously we can do a lot of things with this player.” In Michigan, Hutchinson spent a lot of time in 3-tech as a freshman — something Glenn recognized — before expanding to a left-back as a sophomore and junior, and eventually as a stand-up edge in Mike McDonald’s super-style defense. according to the model of the Ravens. With the Lions, Glenn expects to take advantage of all these experiences. “Inside out. He can play with his hand down, he can stand up,” said Glenn. “He does a lot of things a player can do. He has shown it in Michigan. to make sure it will be successful for us. “ While Hutchinson switched between left and right last season – something he will probably do in the NFL – he looks more natural on the left side, where he seems to be in the starting line-up immediately. Romeo Okwara was expected to keep his left winger (he played there last season), but is currently recovering from an Achilles injury and is familiar with playing on both sides. While Okwara is recovering, look for Charles Harris to continue starting from the far right and then there will likely be an alternation of three when he is healthy – with Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant completing where needed.
