Hutchinson glad Jaguars passed on him in 2022 draft: 'It was divine timing'
Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson hasn't given a second thought to the Jacksonville Jaguars passing on him in the 2022 NFL Draft.
"Nope," Hutcinson said with the Jaguars visiting the Lions for joint practice, according to MLive's Kyle Meinke. "I'm happy here. Very thankful. Very thankful. I mean, it all worked out. It was divine timing. The way things went were the way things were supposed to go."
Jacksonville opted to select Travon Walker with the first overall pick. The decision allowed Detroit to keep the Michigan product in-state. Following a slow start, Hutchinson found rhythm on his way to 9.5 sacks to lead all rookies last season. He added 52 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and three interceptions during his rookie campaign.
Hutchinson finished as the runner-up for the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year behind New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner.
The second-year pass-rusher admitted that he wanted the Lions to select him leading up to the draft.
"The whole draft process, I wanted them to pick me," Hutchinson said.
Expectations for the Lions are fairly high after the team finished with a 9-8 record, narrowly missing out on a playoff berth. Hutchinson believes that he's barely scratched the surface of his potential entering the 2023 season.
"I think the sky's the limit for me. I really feel that," he said.
Hutchinson leads a deep pass-rushing group that features young contributors James Houston and Josh Paschal and tallied 39 sacks in 2022.