Aidan Hutchinson off the board in 2022 NFL draft
The long wait from the end of the college football season to the NFL draft is finally over, which means that former Michigan standout Aidan Hutchinson is off the board.
But the big question is: where did he go?
After the Wolverines beat Ohio State and won the Big Ten the following week, Hutchinson started getting mocked as the No. 1 overall pick, a stance that most draft pundits were on board with until he was usurped in the mocks leading up to draft day. Suddenly, Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker — who didn’t even lead his team in sacks, as he has six compared to Robert Beal’s 6.5 — became the nouveau pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the top spot.
That ended up holding true, with Walker going No. 1 overall, but Hutchinson didn’t have to wait long. He ended up going at No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions, meaning that the Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child alum, former Wolverine, and Plymouth native gets to stay home.
Hutchinson not only led Michigan in sacks in 2021, but he broke the single-season record of 11 set by his father, Chris Hutchinson, back in 1992. He finished the season with 14, adding to the 4.5 he posted in 2019 — his first season as a starter.
Though expected to have a big year in 2020, Hutchinson broke his leg near the beginning of Michigan’s Week 3 game at Indiana. However, he returned with a vengeance, not only production-wise, but also as a team leader, helping propel the maize and blue to their first Big Ten championship since 2004.
Update via Michigan statement:
With the second pick in the 2022 NFL Draft held at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, the Detroit Lions selected University of Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions used very little of their allotted time to keep the Plymouth native and Divine Child High School product close to home for the foreseeable future.
He became the 11th Wolverine to be selected in the top five of a professional football draft and the highest pick since OT Jake Long was the No. 1 overall selection of the Miami Dolphins in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Hutchinson became the highest-drafted defender in school history. He is the fifth Wolverine to be chosen first or second in a professional draft, joining OT Jake Long (No. 1, Miami Dolphins, 2008 NFL), OT Tom Mack (No. 2, Los Angeles Rams, 1966 NFL), end Elmer Madar (No. 1, Miami Seahawks, 1947 AAFC) and RB Tom Harmon (No. 1, Chicago Bears, 1941 NFL).
Hutchinson is the 33rd Wolverine to be drafted by the Lions franchise. He is the third player to be chosen in the first round by the organization, joining OT Jeff Backus (18th pick, 2001 draft) and RB Bob Westfall (5th pick, 1942 draft).
A two-time captain (2020-21), Hutchinson leaves Ann Arbor as one of the most decorated players in school history. He helped create a culture and atmosphere that allowed Michigan to capture the Big Ten Championship in 2021 and become the first team to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff, receiving a bid to the Orange Bowl against eventual national champion Georgia. The Wolverines finished the year ranked third in both national polls.
On the field, Hutchinson led the defensive line with 62 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 14.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three pass breakups during the 2021 season. He was the Big Ten leader and was third nationally in sacks per game (1.0 avg.). In the biggest game of the season, Hutchinson dominated Ohio State to the tune of three sacks and a record 15 quarterback pressures.
He was runner-up for the 2021 Heisman Memorial Trophy, becoming just the fourth defensive player in the 87-year history of the award to finish first or second in the final voting. A 2021 consensus first-team All-American, Hutchinson won the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Rotary Lombardi Award, Ted Hendricks Award and was the co-recipient of the 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year. He earned All-Big Ten first team honors and collected the Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the Smith-Brown Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. Hutchinson was voted as the Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player of the 2021 team.
Academically, he graduated with a degree in applied exercise science. Hutchinson was a 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-American first team and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors three times (2019-21). He was selected as a 2021 National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete and was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy presented to the top student-athlete in college football.
Notes:
• With the selection of Hutchinson, a Michigan player has been selected in 84 consecutive NFL Drafts (1938 to present), continuing the program’s NCAA record streak among its peers.
• Hutchinson became the 50th NFL first-round pick in school history.
• He is the 12th player chosen in the top five picks of the draft (AAFC, AFL and NFL drafts).
• Hutchinson is the 40th player drafted during head coach Jim Harbaugh’s tenure, including the seventh first-round pick.
• Hutchinson is the fourth Wolverine defensive end selected in the first round in the past six drafts: Kwity Paye (2021, Colts), Rashan Gary (2019, Packers) and Taco Charlton (Cowboys, 2017).
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