On Thursday night, one Michigan native got the news they were waiting to hear.
That person is edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
The news that he received was the Detroit Lions were drafting him with the second pick overall.
Hutchinson lives and breathes Pure Michigan, as his entire football career has been in the state.
However, he now takes his time playing for the University of Michigan to the NFL with Detroit.
His last season in NCAA football saw him as a brutal force.
But now he’s in the NFL and playing for Detroit.
The Wolverines gave him a chance to shine, but could the Lions turn him into a hometown legend?
Will Lions Ownership Hold Back Yet Another Superstar In Detroit?
Lions fans have seen some legendary players over the past 30 years.
Players like Barry Sanders, Matthew Stafford, and Calvin Johnson were all drafted by Detroit.
They all made their mark as some of the best in Lions’ history.
However, ownership squandered the careers of these players.
While Sanders and Johnson ended their careers with Detroit, Stafford was traded to Los Angeles and the sunny California coastline.
One Lions fan believes the latest owner in the Ford bloodline is taking a different approach.
Educate yourself on the different approach Sheila has taken in the last 24 months than her parents, previously. Then, research the Falcons roster and explain how you could possibly think there are actually 3 teams in the league that could end with a worse record next season.
— Cmcreavy (@mcreavyc) April 27, 2022
However, they missed the fact the team performed worse in 2021 than they did in 2020.
They also neglected to see how Detroit traded away their best player.
The fear with true Lions’ fans is the team wasting away Hutchinson’s career with them.
He, much like Sanders and Johnson, will stay with Detroit until the end.
However, that end could prevent him from seeing his full potential.
Will Detroit Build Up Their Defense With Remaining Draft Picks?
If Hutchinson’s career in Detroit is going to become legendary, he will need players around him.
The Lions haven’t had a top-ten defense since 2014, when they ranked second in total defense.
Mathew Stafford had started 166 games with the Lions. He has been accompanied by a 100-yard rusher in 11 of them. That’s 6.5% of the time. He had 1 top ten defense in 2014. https://t.co/vlxbaQcBR2
— Brenden Wallace (@BrendenWallacee) September 13, 2021
Defensive players like Ndamukong Suh, Glover Quin, and DeAndre Levy brought hope to Detroit’s defense.
While Hutchinson is a huge upgrade for their defense, they need more than him to improve.
With the draft picks they got from trading Stafford, they can give him additional help this year or next year.
However, making him shoulder all the burden on defense will hurt his play on the field.
When offensive linemen know who to stop, it adds pressure on that player.
While pressure makes diamonds, Michiganders have seen many of their players crack under that pressure.
However, drafting defensive players takes some pressure taken off him, allow him to shine a little more in Detroit.
Could Hutchinson Be A Bust?
Hutchinson’s only big season was in 2021.
He missed games in 2020 because of a fracture in his leg.
After having surgery, he came back in 2021 with a vengeance.
However, some think his stats were only good because of the help he received.
Linebacker David Ojabo was the force that helped Hutchinson shine in 2021 with the Wolverines.
When offenses focused on him, Hutchinson got his 70 pass pressures and 14 sacks.
If Detroit doesn’t get him defensive help, he could turn into a bust like some people think.
