J.J. Watt labels Aidan Hutchinson as a ‘playmaker’ claiming he’s the perfect draft pick for the Lions this season

Aidan Hutchinson has 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles in just five games this season.

J.J. Watt labels Aidan Hutchinson as a ‘playmaker’ claiming he’s the perfect draft pick for the Lions this season

(L) J.J. Watt; (R) Aidan Hutchinson (Via SI/Houston Chronicle)

With just two years in the NFL, Detroit Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson is already known as one of the best defensive players in the league. The 23-year-old was selected as the second pick in the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions, behind Georgia’s Travon Walker.

With a total of 35 quarterback pressures and 4 1/2 sacks for this season, the Lions’ edge rusher has been ranked first in the league so far this season. In fact, Hutchinson has four career interceptions, which is the second-highest by the Detroit Lions defensive lineman all-time. He is also counted among the only four players to log 10 sacks and four interceptions, within their first two seasons.

Speaking on the matter, in a recent episode of the Pat McAfee show, the recently retired defensive lineman J.J. Watt talked about how impressed he was with Hutchinson’s performance. In his opinion, Hutchinson is the perfect draft pick for the Lions this season.

He said, “I think Aidan Hutchinson is playing really well. He is a playmaker. I mean, has there been a better fit in terms of draft pick in Aidan Hutchinson is going to the Detroit Lions?” Watt further added, “The guy can make plays. Not only can he make sacks on the edge, but I feel like he has, like four or five interceptions this season already.”

There have been several instances in the past two seasons where Hutchinson has proved to be a key part of the Lions’ ascensions. Although he was passed over by the Jacksonville Jaguars, he sure is the perfect pick for the Lions, just like how he was for the Wolverines in 2021.

Related: Aidan Hutchinson’s Net Worth in 2023: How rich is the Lions DE?

J. J. Watt inspired Aidan Hutchinson to improve his game

This wasn’t the first time that J.J. Watt has appreciated the Lions’ edge rusher. A couple of months back, Aidan Hutchinson shared that he had an insightful conversation with the retired defensive lineman J.J. Watt about entering his second season after being a rookie.

Aidan Hutchinson
Aidan Hutchinson (Via NFL.com)

Hutchinson said to SiriusXM, “That Year 2, he had 21 sacks. I think I’m very interested in talking to guys around the league — especially those who played the game and played it at a high level, to hear what they have to say.”

Hutchinson was preparing himself for a better start after being a rookie in his first season. He watched many players critically to see if he could learn something from them. The 23-year-old is a firm believer that all a player can learn is already there. Just pick and choose what he wants to implement in his next game. And he proved that as well, as he has 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles in just five games this season.

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