Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson put together a solid rookie year, registering 9.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits, and three interceptions while playing 84 percent of Detroit’s defensive snaps.
The No. 2 pick of last year’s draft, Hutchinson ended up second in AP defensive rookie of the year voting for his performance.
According to head coach Dan Campbell, Hutchinson has put himself in a position to be significantly better in 2023.
“I feel like he’s got more in his toolbox and he was already a confident player, but you can just see has a ton of confidence,” Campbell said in his Wednesday press conference. “You see these tools coming out that have elevated his game, so he’s got a counter move, he’s got a spin, he’s got a bull. He’s violent shedding the run game. He sets an edge. He’s a big man. He’s got a high motor.
“He’s taken it up a notch. That’s what you want to see.”
The Lions finished No. 32 in yards allowed and No. 28 in points allowed last season, but the team’s defense made some significant improvements in the season’s final stretch. If Hutchinson can keep his trajectory pointing up, that should mean even more improvement for Detroit’s defense in the coming year.
