What Can Jaylon Hutchings Bring to the Bears DT Room?

Jaylon Hutchings' College Career

Jaylon Hutchings played six seasons at Texas Tech, taking full advantage of the extra year of eligibility that COVID-19 granted student-athletes. Coming out of high school in Forney, Texas, Hutchings was a three-star recruit and the No. 123 defensive tackle in the country, per 247Sports. He held offers from various programs including Kansas State, SMU, Connecticut, New Mexico, and Arkansas State before committing to Texas Tech.

In 2023, Hutchings played 11 games before shutting it down with a torn meniscus. He started 57 consecutive games before the injury. Additionally, Hutchings was an honorable mention All-Big 12 pick in 2022 and a multi-year captain for the program while earning academic All-American honors.

According to PFF, Hutchings generated 20 pressures and four sacks across 278 pass-rush snaps in 2023. Among 219 FBS defensive tackles to play at least 400 snaps in 2023, Hutchings had the 93rd-best overall PFF grade, the 111th-best run defense grade, and the 100th-best pass-rushing grade. His 491 snaps played ranked 107th in the country.

In 2022, Hutchings generated 31 pressures and two sacks across 386 pass-rush snaps. Among 224 FBS defensive tackles to play at least 400 snaps in 2023, Hutchings had the 13th-best overall PFF grade, the ninth-best run defense grade, and the 56th-best pass-rushing grade. His 730 snaps played ranked seventh in the country.

Thoughts on Jaylon Hutchings

So what changed between 2022 and 2023? Because those 2022 grades read like a player who should have been drafted. Well, Jaylon Hutchings' injury is the most obvious information to look toward. He may have fought through it for a portion of the season before shutting things down. The other notable information is that he played on the same defensive line as Tyree Wilson in 2022, an EDGE rusher who went sixth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

On tape, Hutchings shows nice power in a short, compact frame. As a former high school running back, his footspeed flashes. However, he did struggle to withstand power in 2023, most notably against Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson.

"A 6-0, 295-pound strong man who was once a nifty high school running back, now he’s got a 500-pound bench, a 700-pound squat, but he has been clocked at 18 miles per hour. That skill set has translated very well for the Red Raiders defense, where he made 50 tackles and 5.5 TFLs in 2022 and was graded out at 84.5 overall by PFF a year ago, making him the second-highest graded defensive tackle returning in the Big 12 and was easily Texas Tech’s highest-graded performer by PFF."

- Bruce Feldman

Hutchings' play style can be out of control at times, but his impressive athletic traits do show out on tape. He ranked 63rd on Feldman's Freak List entering last season. I believe Hutchings has a real chance to make the Bears roster, filling a depth role behind Gervon Dexter Sr., Andrew Billings, and Zacch Pickens. But at the end of the day, we're still talking about a last-minute UDFA signing. Maybe Ryan Poles found a gem here, or maybe I'm romanticizing a fan favorite from my alma mater.

Either way, I'm excited to see Hutching get his shot. He certainly looks the part.