STRENGTHS
Aidan reminds me a lot of former Chiefs/Vikings/Bears Defensive End Jared Allen. He has the same power pass-rushing moves along with being stout against the run. He also has those quick feet and strong hands that make it easy to defeat his opponent, shedding blocks and making tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Aidan loves the game, you can see it in his play and he never stops coming at you play after play until he hears the whistle. He shows the mental toughness to stay on the field and the pain threshold to play through those nagging injuries that will keep other players off the field during the season. Aidan shows leadership skills through his play on the field, fighting through double teams, and doing the grunt work to make others around him play better. I call him Aidan (Thor) Hutchinson because he plays the game with thunder and strikes with lightning.
CONCERNS
Aidan is tight in the hips and does not show the flexibility to turn the corner and beat his man with just speed alone. That means he still has to learn how to use his strengths to set up his man to make the big play in the 4th quarter that will make Aidan more than just a core player and a fan favorite. When he does learn the pass-rushing tricks of the trade at the next level then he could become a franchise Defensive lineman for the team that selects him.
BOTTOM LINE: 1.44
Jared Allen averaged 11 sacks a season for 12 seasons and in 2011, had 22 sacks making him one of the most feared Defensive Ends in the NFL for about 7 years and still he played for 3 different teams…go figure. Aidan could have that type of career, at least that’s where I see his potential. I see that potential in his play on the field because of his work effort, character. This year, I believe Aidan has discovered his own potential and ability to make teams game plan for him. I believe now, that when Aidan goes through those adversarial times at the next level, that he will fight to continue to get better because of that newfound belief in his own talents. He does after all… play with thunder and if a QB doesn’t get rid of the ball or a running back doesn’t follow his block, Aidan will strike like lightning.
