Hutchinson motivated to prove Jags made a mistake
On Sunday, Detroit Lions rookie Aidan Hutchinson will suit up against the only other team that had a chance to select him in the 2022 NFL Draft: the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars, which owned the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, opted to select Georgia outside linebacker Travon Walker, instead of the University of Michigan EDGE defender.
It allowed Hutchinson, a Michigan native, to land in the lap of his hometown NFL franchise, Detroit, at No. 2 overall.
And boy, is he still salty about the fact that the Jaguars passed up on him.
“It was weird,” Hutchinson told a scrum of Lions reporters after Thursday’s practice. “I thought I was going there for about three months. Then, about a week before the draft, something changed. I guess my arms were just not quite long enough.
“We’ll see if that extra couple inches was the difference.”
Since the draft, Hutchinson has made the most of his opportunity in the Motor City.
Most recently, he earned NFC Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for his standout performance in November. In four games during the aforementioned month, he recorded 13 total tackles, a sack, two interceptions, two passes defensed and a fumble recovery.
For the season, Hutchinson leads all rookies in the following stats: interceptions (two), sacks (5.5), quarterback hits (10) and total pressures (33).
Meanwhile, the player picked ahead of him, Walker, has produced a lone pick, 2.5 sacks, six QB hits and 24 total pressures.
Fair to say, the Lions are happy they got the Wolverines defender with the No. 2 pick.
“Look, let’s call it what it is. The kid … it’s one of the reasons why we like him. I mean, he’s competitive now, like he wants to play within the system, do his job, but he wants to be a difference-maker,” Detroit head coach Dan Campbell expressed to reporters this past month.
“Like he views himself as somebody like, ‘I can change the game. Like I can do that.’ So, when you get in those critical moments, those high-pressure situations, he’s somebody that thrives in that, like he enjoys that. He doesn’t go the other way and get real tight and tense. He wants to go make a play.”
Hutchinson is always looking to make a play, and there’s no better time than Sunday to make his next one, against the one team that passed up on him. And, from all accounts, he’s ready to prove to Jacksonville that it made a mistake in not selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick.
“Obviously, I’m in a good situation here, and I’m happy,” Hutchinson said. “But, draft day, you still remember, and that will stick with me forever.”
Detroit wide receiver DJ Chark is also motivated to play against the Jaguars, the organization that let him walk in free agency this past offseason.
Chark was drafted by Jacksonville in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and played his first four NFL seasons for the franchise. His best season with the organization came in 2019, when he caught 73 balls for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns and earned his first and only trip to the Pro Bowl.
The Jaguars, however, opted not to re-sign the veteran wideout after a 2021 season that saw him suit up in just four games, due to an ankle injury.
It’s the same ankle ailment that’s limited him to just five games in his debut season in Detroit.
So far as a member of the Lions, Chark has hauled in only nine passes, on 24 targets, for 114 yards and two touchdowns.
Needless to say, he’s ready to take on his former team on Sunday.
“I’m definitely looking forward to playing, but I wouldn’t say it was circled or anything. Because like you said, I’ve had a lot of good relationships that I have built, a lot of friendships there,” Chark said Thursday. “So, it’s kind of like that competition fuels players like me. So, I’m excited to play them.
“So much has happened since (signing in Detroit) then, that at this point — I’ve missed six games. So, at this point, every game is circled on the calendar. I just want to get out there and show myself what I can do. I’m happy that I was able to get back in time to play in this game. But, for me, really, every game is the same. The season is coming to an end. We could have a chance to push further. We’ll see how that goes. I just want to go out there and showcase my talent, and help this team win because we can.”