AP Photo/Steve Luciano
Aidan Hutchinson, the potential No. 1
overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, was a limited participant in the
University of Michigan’s pro day on Friday.
The 21-year-old defensive end stood mostly on his strong results from the scouting combine in early March,
which included a 4.74-second 40-yard dash and a 36-inch vertical
jump.
He did take part in the bench press—an event he skipped in
Indianapolis—completing 28 reps:
Michigan Football @UMichFootball
????️ushin’ 28 <a href=”https://twitter.com/aidanhutch97?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@aidanhutch97</a> fresh off the press<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#GoBlue</a> // <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProBlue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#ProBlue</a> <a href=”https://t.co/9T2ePc5wBL”>pic.twitter.com/9T2ePc5wBL</a>
Hutchinson has emerged as a strong
candidate for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who own the first selection
for the second straight year. They took quarterback Trevor Lawrence
to kick off the 2021 draft.
The edge-rusher enjoyed a breakout
senior season with the Wolverines. He recorded 62 total tackles, 14
sacks, three passes defended and two forced fumbles in 14 appearances
to capture the Ted Hendricks Award as college football’s top
defensive end.
While it took that standout year for
the Michigan native to enter the conversation atop the draft class,
it’s a rise he always expected to happen.
“I think, in my head, I always knew
it,” Hutchinson told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated after the
combine. “In my head I always viewed myself like that. … Now
everyone sees me at No. 1, but I’ve been seeing myself at No. 1 for a
very long time now.”
His terrific on-field performance in 2021
combined with his high-end athleticism, as showcased by Kent Lee
Platte of Pro Football Network, makes him an ideal prospect at one of
the NFL’s most important positions.
Kent Lee Platte @MathBomb
Aidan Hutchinson is a DE prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.87 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 19 out of 1413 DE from 1987 to 2022. <a href=”https://t.co/GaNo2tViCr”>https://t.co/GaNo2tViCr</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#RAS</a> <a href=”https://t.co/pUsuCzXcSK”>pic.twitter.com/pUsuCzXcSK</a>
Other first-pick candidates for the
Jags include Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal, NC State offensive
tackle Ikem Ekwonu, Georgia defensive end Travon Walker and Oregon
defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Hutchinson, who finished second in
Heisman Trophy voting to Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, appears to
have the inside track, though.
He’d likely arrive as a Day 1 starter
to bolster a Jacksonville defense that ranked 27th in the league with
just 32 sacks last season. The unit also finished 28th in scoring
defense (26.9 points allowed per game).
It could also jump-start a fruitful
draft for the Jaguars, who own an NFL-high 12 picks in the event,
which gets underway April 28.
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