Incredible stat proves Aidan Hutchinson is already on elite level

Aidan Hutchinson has enjoyed a fantastic start to his career with the Detroit Lions, but it can be hard to put into full context

After registering 9.5 sacks as a rookie in 2022, Hutchinson had 11.5 sacks last year as his pressure and generally disruption metrics improved too. A sack drought he had in the middle of the season did not totally obscure how well he was getting after the passer (101 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus).

According to Pro Football Reference, Hutchinson's 62 pressures last season put in some rare air historically.

The Lions famously passed on Aaron Donald in 2014 to draft tight end Eric Ebron, and have regretted it in perpetuity.

Aidan Hutchinson credits Dan Campbell for helping fuel his success

Why has Hutchinson found success so easily in Detroit as a young player? It has plenty to do with the special relationship he maintains with his head coach since the first day he walked into the building.

As Hutchinson explained on "The Rich Eisen Show" before the draft, head coach Dan Campbell has been able to strike the right chord.

"When you go in as a rookie, you got to go and prove yourself and that's how it was. I feel like over these past few years, I've gained my respect from him and I feel like that's what everyone's got to do. I had a lot of hype just playing at Michigan and being the hometown kid. It's like, you got to match these expectations. He kind of knew that and I think he always was (setting) the standard up here for me and that's what I love about him. He holds me to it and our relationship has grown a lot and we have a great relationship. I love having him as my coach and I think he's the guy that we need at the helm to win a championship."

Hutchinson's rapid development is as much a tribute to those around him as his own hard work. Being near Donald in any statistic, and so soon in his career, puts him on an elite trajectory.