Lions considering position change for rookie Aidan Hutchinson

The 141 points the Detroit Lions have allowed through the first four games of the 2022 season are the most in NFL history.

After allowing a season-high 555 yards to the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday’s 48-45 loss, and not sacking quarterback Geno Smith once, Lions head coach Dan Campbell declared that he would be taking a top-to-bottom assessment of his defense and that he would make personnel changes, if necessary.

During his media availability on Monday, Campbell disclosed that one of the personnel changed he’s considering is a position change for rookie first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson.

“I think he’s one of the players that I think we need to look long and hard about, ‘Do we need to move him in some different spots? Do we need to see if we can give him an opportunity to have more success?’” Campbell told reporters on Monday. “But look, I think he did a lot of good things in the run game (against Seattle), and look, I think he’s kind of where our defense is right now, where we’ve just got to improve.”

Hutchinson has been deployed primarily as a pass rusher, logging just 147 of his 238 total snaps in pass rush, according to Pro Football Focus. He has been effective in the role, generating 14 pressures, eight hurries, three sacks, and three QB hits.

While versatile, Campbell is entertaining the idea of allowing Hutchinson to play more as a stand-up pass rusher — a role he really thrived in at the University of Michigan, where he was among the nation’s leaders in pass rush win rate.

“If he’s going to be down over the tight end, it’s hard to be in a (two-point stance) just to play the run,” he continued. “Not that you can’t, but you’re going to be much more on top of a tight end or a tackle whereas it’s a little easier on the other edge. …If he feels like he can get his job done (standing) up, listen, no problem. …If it’s something he feels like he’s more comfortable at, we’ll go with that.”