Lions take Hutchinson at No. 2
Team trades up to take Williams
ALLEN PARK, MICH. >> Aidan Hutchinson surprised his mother with a gift on draft day before the Detroit Lions made his wish come true.
The Lions grabbed the talented Michigan defensive end with the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, barely using its allotted five minutes to address a desperate need with a hometown star who was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy this past season.
“The whole draft process, I wanted them to pick me,” he said.
When Hutchinson's name was called in Las Vegas,
Hutchinson hugged his parents and two sisters before going on stage. His father, Chris, was a Michigan captain and Big Ten defensive lineman of the year in 1992.
A few hours earlier, Hutchinson picked the special day to carry out a sweet surprise for his mother, Melissa, giving her a Leo Frost-designed necklace with a dog tag to honor her grandfather and World War II veteran.
“That was cool to have that moment shared with her,” he said
Detroit went into the draft with eight picks, including No. 2 and No. 32 at the end of the first round. It used the extra assets to make an aggressive trade with an NFC North rival to move up and take Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams at No. 12, which they acquired from Minnesota in a swap for No. 32. Detroit also landed the No. 46 selection overall for No. 34 overall and a thirdround pick.
Williams gives veteran quarterback Jared Goff a bigplay threat, but the speedster may need time to get healthy after tearing a knee ligament in the national championship game. Williams said he's pushing to be ready by training camp.
Williams transferred to Alabama from Ohio State, where he played behind Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave for two years. Wilson was drafted No. 10 overall by the New York Jets and New Orleans took Olave one pick later.
“We always knew we had the talent,” Williams said. “We competed with each other and got each other better.”
The Marin Catholic graduate Goff is surrounded by solid players on the line, at tight end and running back, but they definitely needed help at receiver. The Lions seem to have more needs on defense.
Until recently, the Jaguars were expected to select Hutchinson at No. 1 but went with Georgia defensive end Travon Walker instead. That gave second-year general manager Brad Holmes a chance to draft Hutchinson, the best player on the team's board.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound pass rusher is relentless, fitting the mold of players coveted by second-year coach Dan Campbell. He has drawn comparisons to a pair of former Ohio State defensive ends, Nick and Joey Bosa.