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Aidan Hutchinson NFL Draft Profile
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Aidan Hutchinson Scouting ReportStanding at 6'6" weighing in at 269 pounds, Hutchinson is an elite athlete. With his frame, he possesses solid length, which he uses with universal proactivity. Aidan extends quickly, sets the edge well in run defense. He actively disrupts passing windows and seeks to make opposing QBs uncomfortable. He has good grip strength which he can use to wrench down opposing anchors. He also haa a strong base and good balance. He is able to stand his ground against opposing power and force. Hutchinson has great explosiveness with lateral burst and twitch. He also owns solid weight transfer ability when shuffling between gaps. His length combined with his natural balance gives him positional flexibility. His blend of length, energy and twitch gives him upside at multiple alignments. He might be one of the strongest run defenders in the 2022 NFL Draft. He boasts excellent footwork and awareness. He knows how to reset his feet periodically to maintain leverage. He can disengage and wrap up ball carriers when they enter his area. |
Areas for ImprovementInexperience is something to note with only 16 career starts to his name and notable missed time in 2020 after a leg injury cut his season in half. Hutchinson will need to continue to diversify his pass-rush palette in order to hit his ceiling as a player. He has thrived to date most with short-area quickness and converting speed to power to collapse pass sets. Getting him into more savvy counters and swipes will unlock a whole new level of play for him on third downs—or you could see him continue to rotate inside where his quickness can be an even bigger asset. Got stuck on some blocks against Alabama in the 2019 season’s bowl game, so added consistency week to week will be the big step he needs to take. Hutchinson was largely quiet and overshadowed by Kwity Paye when the two shared the field in 2020, giving him lofty expectations to live up or else see a narrative formed regarding his production as a pass rusher (3.5 career sacks entering 2021). |
Aidan Hutchinson Career at MichiganAs his physical traits demanded, Hutchinson saw the field fairly early in his collegiate career. As a true freshman, he appeared on the defense almost every week, earning 12 total tackles and a tackle for loss with his limited opportunities. That true-freshman season, while relatively quiet, served as the springboard toward a standout sophomore year. Hutchinson broke out as a starter, amassing 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 6 deflections, and 3 forced fumbles. For his performance in 2019, Hutchinson earned third-team All-Big Ten honors. Additionally, the stellar campaign fueled excitement for another potential leap in 2020. Hutchinson was voted as a team captain heading into his junior year, and he was expected to complete a fearsome line combination opposite eventual first-round pick Paye. Instead, a right ankle fracture derailed Hutchinson’s season, and he was required to have surgery after just three games. Despite his injury-shortened 2020 campaign, Hutchinson still has a great deal of respect nationwide. He’s earned preseason All-American honors from some outlets, and he’s also received some first-round hype for the 2022 NFL Draft. Can Hutchinson validate that excitement and close on his career on a positive note? If his journey to this point is any indication, he won’t spare any effort in doing so. |
Aidan Hutchinson NFL Draft Player ProfileHutchinson may be listed as a defensive end, but he isn’t your traditional edge rusher. The Michigan DE can play from a host of alignments. He can stand up, or play from three-point and four-point stances. No matter where he goes, he has great burst, energy, and urgency as a pass rusher. He compounds those traits with aggressive hand usage. And in run defense, his length, functional strength, and balance enable him to hold strong. Hutchinson is a superb run defender, and he has added pass-rushing utility as a chess piece who can move around the line. And now that he’s shown he can play to his athletic maximum and refine his hand usage, he’s a true three-down player, and a potential blue-chip player on the edge. By now, he’s safely trending into Round 1 territory. The offseason should only lock him in. |
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