Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Mike McDaniel

Giants Former Top-Five Pick Called Out When Compared to Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson

As is the case across the league throughout training camp, the Lions and Giants held a joint practice on Wednesday as the teams ramp up activity ahead of the regular season.

The spotlight is always on the stars, and there is no shortage of them at defensive end amongst these two teams, with Giants star Kayvon Thibodeaux and the Lions boasting Aidan Hutchinson.

The two pass rushers are no strangers, as Hutchinson and Thibodeaux were going head-to-head as two of the top edge prospects in the 2022 draft. Hutchinson ended up being selected with the No. 2 pick to Detroit out of Michigan, while Thibodeaux went No. 5 to New York out of Oregon.

Hutchinson performed better as a rookie last season, and now he may be outperforming Thibodeaux in the joint practices as well. According to a report from Rick Spielman of CBS Sports, Hutchinson was “unblockable” with double-digit sacks, while Thibodeaux “just blended in.” In addition, Spielman noted that Thibodeaux doesn’t practice with the same effort that Hutchinson does.

Hutchinson tabbed 52 combined tackles and 9.5 sacks in 17 starts as a rookie last season, while Thibodeaux notched 49 combined tackles and 4.0 sacks in 14 starts.

Hutchinson’s sack total stands out here, and while Thibodeaux didn’t have the worst rookie campaign, there’s clearly another level he needs to get to in order to be the type of game-changing pass rusher that Hutchinson has proven to be early in his NFL career.

Perhaps practicing with more intensity would be a good place to start.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.