Todd McShay slots Aidan Hutchinson as new No. 1 in updated NFL Draft rankings
Aidan Hutchinson has had a great year for Michigan up in Ann Arbor.
The edge rusher has 33 solo tackles, 14 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 2 forced fumbles in the 2021 season. Coming up is a trip to the 2022 NFL Draft after the season and some people are starting to rank him as the No. 1 overall player on the board.
ESPN’s Todd McShay is one of them. The draft expert has Hutchinson listed above the likes of Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, Alabama’s Evan Neal, LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr., and Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton in the most recent update to his 2022 NFL Draft rankings.
Here’s what McShay had to say about his decision to put Hutchinson at No.1:
“Hutchinson plays a powerful game and is truly relentless in pursuit. He also has fast eyes and locates the ball really well. I also like his inside move, and his ability to line up on either side and drop in coverage will be valuable to NFL teams. The senior can stack blockers at the point of attack and has active hands. He has 14.0 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles this season for the Wolverines. On the season, Hutchinson has three games with more than two sacks, and he has seven sacks over his past four games. The potential Heisman Trophy finalist now has an opportunity to challenge for the national sack lead in the College Football Playoff.
Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson is the new No. 1 in @McShay13‘s latest draft rankings. Agree? 🤔
Full list here ➡️ https://t.co/9dbVXvhjUo pic.twitter.com/UL6ARgFzCP
— ESPN+ (@ESPNPlus) December 6, 2021
The 2022 NFL Draft isn’t until next April, so Hutchinson will have some time before he has to focus on that. Now the Wolverines await the Georgia Bulldogs in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
No. 2 Michigan (12-1) and No. 3 Georgia (12-1) meet in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on New Year’s Eve at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.