Dan Campbell is the face of the Detroit Lions and they can look toward the 2022 NFL Draft to help establish their identity.
The new era of the Detroit Lions started off with a bang. General Manager Brad Holmes kicked off the new era by hiring former New Orleans Saints tight end coach/assistant head coach Dan Campbell. The hard-nosed head coach made an impression on NFL media after his first presser. Campbell was just the start of Holmes’ new-look Lions.
The first-time GM traded away its long-time franchise quarterback, Matthew Stafford, for a Jared Goff. He went to sign several players to one-year deals to help segway the era. As expected, the Lions will end the season fighting for the No. 1 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Despite their record, the Lions showed promise. They will fight, mimicking his same tenacity as their head coach. However, they have a bunch of holes to fill. This is year two of GM Brad Homes’ rebuilding process. One strategy I’m a fan of is a team focusing on dominating one side of the ball. Defense is the theme of the 2022 NFL Draft.
And there’s the other side of the ball, where Campbell expressed the desire to be more explosive on offense. That won’t happen unless they give Jared Goff better weapons. Luckily for the Lions, they have five picks inside the Top 100 of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Detroit Lions first-round pick: Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan
Some may want the more athletically gifted edge rusher, Kayvon Thibodeaux, as the No. 1 edge rusher in this class— not this writer. Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson is a prototype edge rusher who’ll dominate with his hand in the dirt or standing up.
The 6-6 265-pound pass rusher doesn’t have an elite first step. However, Hutchinson does fire off the ball with power. He shows bendability when dipping underneath tackles. His violent hands and counter moves give tackles a hard time. When playing the run, he uses his length and trusts his eyes to make plays in the backfield.
Hutchinson also has experience playing in a two-point stance as an outside backer. He can contort, bend, and use his consistent burst to get around tackles. If defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn wants, he can use Hutchinson’s ability to play flats and short zones to his advantage.
With Glenn’s 3-4 defense being more of a makeshift 5-2, a player like Hutchinson gives him flexibility. Hutchinson is a tone-setter off the edge. He’ll do damage standing or with his hand in the dirt and give the Lions defense an identity.
As a rookie, I can see him dominating the run while adding nine or more sacks. If he’s allowed to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback, he could easily reach double-digit sacks. There’s no need to look beyond Michigan for the player who could help reshape the Lions’ defense.