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With the second pick of the NFL draft, the Lions took the player many believed to be the best in the draft, Michigan edge Aidan Hutchinson. The decision was so easy for Detroit, the team actually got in trouble with the league for making the pick so soon.
General manager Brad Holmes has been scouting players for almost 20 years in the NFL, and he gave an interesting comparison for who Hutchinson can be in the league.
“The first time I saw him was back in 2020 when I was still with the Rams. He was playing a different position, more of an interior role.” Holmes said on The Rich Eisen Show. “When I first saw him, he reminded me of Chris Long a little bit, and I was with the Rams back when we drafted Chris Long.”
Holmes went into detail about how the Rams came to scouting Long before they took him No. 2 overall in 2008.
“The reason why that was such a unique comparison is because at the time, back in ’08, we were more of like a four-man front team defense, and Chris Long was running like a 3–4 at UVA. We had to project him as kind of an edge guy,” he added.
Holmes explained when he first saw Hutchinson, the Rams were also running a 3–4 defense under Brandon Staley, so he had to project him to the team similarly to how they had with Long.
However, Hutchinson broke out last year, which completely opened up his versatility and possibility as a pro.
“Then you see him the next season and he just shows a whole new toolbox, that I was like, ‘Wow.’ And it just kind of built an uptick in excitement and like for him. We're really, really excited about him,” Holmes said.
Long went on to play in 11 NFL seasons, totaling 70 sacks for three different teams. If Hutchinson goes on to have Long’s production, that would be a huge win for Detroit.
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