Star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson and the Detroit Lions are currently in the middle of a highly important offseason for the future direction of the franchise following last year’s run all the way to the NFC Championship Game. Of course, the Lions’ season ended in crushing disappointment when they blew a 17-point halftime lead to the San Francisco 49ers in that game, but that shouldn’t take away from what Hutchinson and his teammates were able to accomplish throughout the year.
Down the stretch of the NFC Championship Game loss, the Lions’ defense started to wear down noticeably, and now it seems that the team is looking to help rectify that issue by adding more depth this offseason, including the recent signing of defensive tackle DJ Reader, who was once a key member of the Cincinnati Bengals.
For his part, it seems that DJ Reader is already thrilled about the opportunity to play alongside someone with the talent of Aidan Hutchinson.
“Aidan’s one of the most unique edge rushers we have in the league right now,” said Reader, per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.
Indeed, in his first two seasons since entering the NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan, Hutchinson has established himself as one of the dominant defensive line forces across the entire NFL, playing a key role on what was an elite Detroit defense a year ago despite their shortcomings in the defensive backfield.
Up next, the Lions will continue to look to add in free agency while looking ahead to the NFL Draft next month.
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