Former defensive end Aidan Hutchinson making first NFL visit
Aidan Hutchinson has been skated by several reputable NFL Draft experts as the clear No. 1 overall selection in the first round Las Vegas later this month.
Considering the Jacksonville Jaguars hold the first pick and are clearly trying to revamp by building a young core of players that can carry the team on both offense and defense, it’s no surprise a Monday report confirmed the Michigan Wolverines star is meeting with the team most likely to choose him.
NFL Insider reported both Aidan Hutchinson and NC State offensive tackle Ickey Ekwomu — both considered No. 1 overall selections — are meeting with the Jacksonville brass on Monday, with visits with the Jets and Giants scheduled next.
Aidan Hutchinson still consensus No. 1 overall pick
While there are obvious outliers, the majority of credible NFL Draft experts have never wavered on who they believe the clear choice to go No.1 overall in the 2002 NFL Draft and clearly Las Vegas agrees.
Pro Football Focus’ Austin Gayle still believes Hutchinson weighs in at No. 1. The Michigan pass rusher is believed by him to have the highest floor of any player in the class.
“Hutchinson is currently the betting favorite (-280, per DraftKings Sportsbook) to go No. 1 overall to the Jaguars in the 2022 NFL Draft,” Gayle said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hutchinson is PFF’s and the media consensus’ top-ranked player entering the draft. He also led all defensive players in college football in PFF grade (94.5) during his College Football Playoff run with the Wolverines this past season.
“The 6-foot-7, 260-pounder simply checks every box across the board — his production, intangibles and athleticism are all at elite levels. He cleared the 95th percentile in both the short shuttle (4.15s) and three-cone (6.71s) drills at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine and earned the highest composite score among 41 different key performance indicators that Michigan strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert tests among any Wolverine over the past two seasons.”
NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter has Hutchinson still heading to Jacksonville, he posted in his latest mock draft.
“The Jaguars are shifting their defense under new coordinator Mike Caldwell, who will feature aspects of the scheme he coached under Todd Bowles in Tampa Bay the past three seasons,” he said. “Jacksonville will be tempted to select Georgia’s Travon Walker due to his athletic upside, but the team might be swayed toward Hutchinson because of the former Wolverine’s production and consistency at U-M.”
Based on his first official visits, all indications point to Hutchinson being the anchor of the Jags’ defense for years to come, complimenting last year’s top pick, Trevor Lawrence who the franchise believes will finally become the franchise passer Jacksonville has craved. Now, the Urban Meyer drama is gone and a new coach with veteran experience and a recent Super Bowl victory and another in his pocket who also happened to play QB in the NFL at a high level and has proven himself as an excellent mentor of young signal callers?
While anything could happen, it appears Doug Pederson has a clear plan and it would be a surprise if Aidan Hutchinson lands somewhere else at this point.