In the last few weeks, the Detroit Lions are playing some of the best football we have seen from the franchise in recent years. They played a great game against the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving Day, losing 28-25 as Josh Allen drove Buffalo down the field for a Tyler Bass field goal with two seconds remaining in the game.
That snapped a three-game winning streak for the Lions, who got the monkey off their back defeating Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Week 10 to start the streak. A shootout with the Chicago Bears ensued in Week 11 before a dominant victory on the road over the New York Giants in Week 12.
There is still plenty of work left for the Lions to do but it looks as if they are beginning to turn a corner. The postseason is a long shot, but building more positive momentum for the remainder of the season would go a long way for the franchise. Owning the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams will give them a chance to add another impact, foundational player to the roster as well in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Whoever the Lions end up selecting in the first round, as they will have multiple selections, they can only hope that the player is as productive as Aidan Hutchinson is right out of the gate. Hutchinson is a homegrown player who played collegiately at Michigan and was selected by Detroit as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Lionsâ defense hasnât been good this season, as they are last in points and yardage allowed, but Hutchinson has been a bright spot as the teamâs lead pass rusher. He has picked up 5.5 sacks thus far this season and 31 total pressures. According to NFL Rumors on Twitter, both of those numbers are No. 1 amongst rookies this season.
In addition to the pass rushing numbers, Hutchinson has picked up two interceptions, two passes defended, one fumble recovery, four tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. He has all of the makings of the kind of star pass rusher that all of the best defenses have, providing Detroit with a foundational piece defensively to build around.
Once the Lions are able to bring in some more talent around Hutchinson to take some pressure off of him, his production should only continue increasing.
