“He will come in and he will change the dynamics of the team just because of his presence and the way he plays. He’s a real fit every player we need. “
Aaron Glenn, the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, said this about Eddie Rusher Aidan Hutchinson shortly after the Detroit Lions selected the Michigan man in the 2022 NFL Draft.
If you are not familiar with Hutchinson, I studied his history as a player at Ann Arbor and how he became the best player in the draft when the Lions drafted Hutchinson’s point. In the piece, I highlighted his progress through Michigan’s defensive plan that made him a dynamic player capable of playing in any scheme, something Glenn echoed at his press conference.
“Of course, he can go to the edge, okay? He’s big, so he can go down to third and play 3-technique, ”Glenn said. “And when we look at this man, I mean, I try first with every player, man, working on plays, how we can get the best out of this player, how we can make this player successful. Those are just some of the goal setting shareware that you can use. I mean, he’s the kind of tough, aggressive, violent kind of guy we need. Of course, we can do a lot with this player. “
In Michigan, Hutchinson spent much of his time as a newcomer to the three-tech — Glenn made a point of identification — before anchor left the defensive end as sophomore and junior, and finally modeled after Mike McDonald’s pro-style defense Ravens as a stand-up edge.
With the Lions, Glenn expects to take advantage of all those experiences.
“Inside out. He can play with his hands down, he can stand up,” said Glenn. We will keep it in position. “
Hutchinson switched to left and right edges last season — something he’ll probably do in the NFL as well — he looks more natural on the left side, where he immediately plugs into the starting lineup of base formations.
Romeo O’Keefe was expected to hold the left-hander (he played there last season), but he is currently recovering from Achilles’ injury and is familiar with both sides. While Okwara is recovering, find Charles Harris to continue on the right edge and then a three-way walk is possible, once healthy – Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant will fill in where necessary.
