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.
CBS’s Rick Spielman says that Kayvon Thibodeaux “just blended in” and didn’t practice with the same amount of effort as #Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson pic.twitter.com/PrClBQjFRq
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) August 9, 2023
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.
