INDIANAPOLIS. Aidan Hutchinson stepped to the mic at his press conference here at the NFL Scouts and then was immediately confronted with a barrage of questions about his arm length.
It looks like he didn’t like it very much.
“Hmm, yeah, there might be questions about that,” said the Michigan star pass rusher. “I think we’ll see. But I don’t worry too much about it. I am very confident in my abilities, no matter how long I am or whatever you say. So it doesn’t really matter to me.”
It may not matter to Hutchinson, who just set the Michigan record for most sacks in a single season, but it could matter to NFL teams. On Saturday, the current Heisman Trophy finalist weighed in at 6’7″ and 260 pounds, but with a wingspan of just 32 1/8″. It was second among all the wing rushers in the combine, beating only Texas A&M’s Tyree Johnson (30 7/8), and it made him the shortest-armed pass rusher in Detroit.
Romeo Okwara was 34 1/8 inches on his combine, Trey Flowers was 34 2/8, Julian Okwara was 34 3/8, and Austin Bryant was 34 5/8.
The Lions have the second overall pick in this year’s draft, and while a quarterback (like Malik Willis) or defenseman (like Kyle Hamilton) could come into the picture, the club looks much more likely to use that pick to fill their long term. suffering to pass the impulse. Hutchinson is under scrutiny for choice and may even become a leader due to his strength, tenacity and endless motor skills. It suits Detroit, which will go four fronts next season, and the culture fits too.
But Oregon’s Kaivon Thibodeaux is also in the game, and while he may face additional questions about his motor skills and love of football – which he vehemently denies – he also has more potential because he’s a more explosive athlete.
Incidentally, Thibodeau was 6’4″ and 254 pounds with 33 1/8″ arms. That way, he also won’t run into the wingspan questions that Hutchinson is sure to ask during the process, whether he likes it or not. He said he didn’t have to do anything to explain the length of his arms in college, and the production authoritatively confirms this. He just set the Michigan record for most sacks in a single season (14 sacks) and pitched 79 defensemen in total.
But NFL teams will have to consider how much his body type will carry over to the next level, where linemen are bigger, more athletic and more technical.
“I’ve been playing football for a long time and I’m very confident in my abilities,” Hutchinson said. “So, whatever that pressure is, that expectation, I know who I am. I know what kind of player I am. So it calms the nerves a little.”
Hutchinson says he won’t participate in the bench press, but will do the rest at the combine. The Edge Rushers hit the field at 4:00 pm tonight on the NFL Network.