2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Aidan Hutchinson

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Aidan Hutchinson, 6-6/261 Defensive End Michigan

Aidan Hutchinson Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Dangerous edge pass-rusher

Good get-off

Has variety pass-rushing moves

Excellent pursuit defender

Consistent source of pass pressure

Coverts speed to power

Assignment sound

Disruptive

Can cause havoc behind the line of scrimmage

Uses hands well

Can use his hands and feet at the same time

Plays with good leverage

Battles as a run defender

Can chase down running backs down from the backside

Pad level

Quickness

Instinctive

Natural feel for a quarterback hunter

Good vision to adjust to the quarterback

Skilled at shedding blocks

Functional strength to shed blocks

Gives a second effort

Experience against double-teams

Ready to play immediately

Weaknesses:

Struggles versus downhill runs coming straight at him

Can get covered up some in the ground game

A little light

Frame could be maxed out

Had a serious injury in 2020

Summary: Coming out of high school, Hutchinson was the top-rated prospect in the state of Michigan and a four-star recruit who was ranked No. 193 nationally by ESPN. Those ratings were far off, as Hutchinson became a devastating defender as an underclassman for Michigan. He was a backup behind Rashan Gary and Chase Winovich as a freshman in 2018, but Hutchinson earned a starting spot after they departed for the 2019 NFL Draft and Michigan didn’t miss a beat. In fact, Hutchinson was probably more consistent as a sophomore than Gary and Winovich were in their final seasons. The first-season starter recorded 68 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss, six passes batted and two forced fumbles in 2019.

One of the highlights of Hutchinson’s sophomore season was getting the better of Iowa right tackle Tristan Wirfs, who a year later was the starting right tackle for the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hutchinson closed out that season with an impressive tape against Alabama right tackle Jedrick Wills, who was a top-10 pick and solid rookie a few months later.

Hutchinson was excellent to open 2020, collecting 13 tackles and a pass batted before going down with an ankle fracture that required surgery. Coming off the injury, Hutchinson decided to return to Michigan for the 2021 season.



Hutchinson was phenomenal in 2021, leading one of the best defenses in the nation and pushing Michigan to a Big Ten championship. In his final season with the Wolverines, Hutchinson totaled 62 tackles, 14 sacks, three passes batted, a fumble recovered and two forced fumble – another one was mistakenly given to a teammate.

Hutchinson is a beast of a pass rusher. Off-the-ball, he has solid quickness to fire out of his stance to get upfield, but what makes him really special is his ability to get off blocks. Hutchinson has excellent hands and upper body strength to get offensive linemen’s hands off of him and push them away to get free of blockers. Once Hutchinson is free, he shows a burst to close, and his big frame make him an imposing figure who rattles quarterbacks. Hutchinson’s length keeps blockers from getting into his chest, and he has quick feet to cut to the inside or outside. Hutchinson brings a nice rush plan to his game and sets up tackles well. He also has good vision, intelligence, and recognition skills, which all led to him batting down a lot of passes or redirecting to chase a scrambling quarterback. Even though Hutchinson did produce big sack totals prior to his senior year in college, it would not surprise if he consistently puts up good sack totals during his NFL career.

In the ground game, Hutchinson is sufficient. He wants to win with suddenness and athletic ability to knife through with moving and slanting. As a run defender, he can find the ball and use his quickness and athletic ability to make plays. He can struggle when runs come downhill straight at him, however, and that is the major area for improvement for Hutchinson in the NFL, especially considering pro offensive tackles are bigger, stronger, and more physical than what he saw in college.

Here is what a director of player personnel had to say about Hutchinson, “He’s a good athlete with speed. He has a pretty good get-off and is a special pass rusher. I’m concerned with strength. He doesn’t want that smoke as a run defender. He wants to win with suddenness and athletic ability as a run defender. Moving and slanting. He has issues holding up at the point of attack. He’s sufficient versus the run because he can find it and can win with quickness and his athletic ability, but when they run right at him – it’s alarming. He reminds me of a more athletic Maxx Crosby.”

As a pro, Hutchinson could fit as a base end in a 4-3 or play outside linebacker in a 3-4. He looks like a future top-10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Maxx Crosby. As that director said above, Hutchinson has a similar style of play to Crosby. Hutchinson could be a rich-man’s Crosby considering Hutchinson has more physical talent. Crosby was one of the best defensive ends in the NFL in 2021, so that is high praise as a comparison for Hutchinson even though Crosby was not a high first-round pick himself.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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