Detroit Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchinson is still being sold short ahead of this season, and that might be a great place for the defender to be in.
Hutchinson, who came back last season following a brutal leg injury suffered early on in 2024, posted 14.5 sacks (4th in the league), four forced fumbles (2nd in the league), one interception, one pass defended, and 54 total tackles. It was a beast of a season for Hutchinson, especially coming off of an injury that could've slowed him down.
With another season underway, Hutchinson has plenty of time to get even closer to the pace that he'd been setting in 2024 prior to that leg break - his 7.5 sacks in five games were pacing the league before he went down - but he still isn't seen as a bigger defensive force than players like Maxx Crosby or Will Anderson Jr.
That's, at least, according to an anonymous survey done by ESPN which informed their top-10 ranking of the league's pass rushers ahead of this season. On the list, Hutchinson lands at 5th overall.
"Hutchinson's unique skill set makes him a steady climber up the board, similar to Anderson. Last season, Hutchinson ranked second in pressures (63), third in quarterback hits (35), tied for second in forced fumbles (four) and fourth in sacks (14.5). It was a complete performance coming off a serious leg injury that cost him more than half of the 2024 campaign. His 950 snaps were first among defensive linemen."
Hutchinson lands at 5th overall in latest pass rusher ranking
Less might lead to more for Hutchinson this coming year, with a key note from this ESPN passage being that his 950 snaps led defensive linemen in 2025. That was a necessity for an injured Lions team in need of any and all pop they could get with their secondary in shambles.
We're headed into 2026 in a similar boat, though. With the release of Terrion Arnold, Hutchinson might need to keep up that level of production to give Detroit's offense a fighting chance. Their defensive line figures to be quite healthy headed into training camp and the season, which could help to keep Hutchinson's snaps down from 2025. But, their secondary being so thinned out could mean that he's the bell cow on that side of the field.
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Detroit did their best to address their major hole at the edge opposite Hutchinson, adding Derrick Moore in the NFL draft and signing D.J. Wonnum in free agency. They've also got Alim McNeill fully healthy and ready to return to the line outright, and he'll be a great addition back to their pass rush and run defense.
If Hutchinson manages to accomplish similar, if not better, numbers in 2026 with a "smaller" role, his placement at 5th rather than possibly even 3rd on this list might look silly, quickly. You can't yet make the argument that he should surpass reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, or a mega-disruptor like Micah Parsons. But, he could be cracking that top 3 as soon as this year.
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