Aidan Hutchinson made his entrance from the tunnel as the Detroit Lions kicked off their season at home against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, at Ford Field.
The Lions’ approach to the NFL Draft raised eyebrows, especially considering their acknowledged need for a pass rusher to complement Hutchinson—an issue made more curious given the draft’s depth at that position.
Notably, several quality edge rushers—Josh Sweat, Joey Bosa, Haason Reddick, Leonard Floyd, and Dayo Odeyingbo—signed with other teams without serious pursuit from Detroit.
Detroit appears to be placing a major bet on Hutchinson quickly rebounding from injury and on the overall defense staying healthy to return to form. While this could pay off, the decision to bypass more aggressive moves at a critical position makes for a questionable offseason strategy.