This weekend, Aidan Hutchinson and the Detroit Lions will face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In this Week 13 contest, Hutchinson will get the opportunity to play against the team that passed on him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft.
The former Michigan star was selected by the Lions with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft. But up until about a week before the selection process, he thought he was going to get picked by the Jags.
“Guess my arms were not quite long enough,” he said with a laugh, per team insider Kyle Meinke. “We’ll see if that inch or couple of inches was the difference.”
Hutchinson was knocked in the pre-draft process for his lack of wingspan. The Jaguars elected to go with former Georgia pass rusher Travon Walker, who better fits the traditional physical standards of an NFL defensive end.
Through the first nine games of his rookie season, Hutchinson has 31 tackles, 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two interceptions. Walker has 37 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception through 11 games with Jacksonville.
The Lions and Jags will face off in Detroit at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.