Draft's top pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson embraces style of Steelers' T.J. Watt

Aidan Hutchinson likes to pattern his game after some of the NFL’s premier edge rushers, so it’s no surprise he regularly pops in the highlights of the league’s defensive player of the year.

Asked at the NFL Combine which pass rusher he most admires, Hutchinson put T.J. Watt at the top of his list.

“I just think the way he rushes, how relentless he is,” Hutchinson said. “It’s very fun to watch, and I think that’s why he’s so damn productive.”

Talent evaluators won’t make the same mistake this year with Hutchinson that they made five years earlier with Watt, who didn’t go off the board until the Pittsburgh Steelers selected him with the No. 30 overall selection.

On the contrary, Hutchinson is considered the favorite to receive the first hug from commissioner Roger Goodell when the first round kicks off April 28 in Las Vegas.

The Michigan defensive end capped his senior season by helping the Wolverines reach the college football playoff and finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.

At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Hutchinson is 2 inches taller and 13 pounds heavier than Watt, making him more suited to play with his hand on the ground rather than outside linebacker like the Steelers’ star.

Hutchinson was just as disruptive in the Big Ten as Watt is in the pros. He ranked third in FBS with 14 sacks and had 16 1/2 tackles for loss among his 62 stops. He also broke up three passes and forced two fumbles in 14 games.

Which is why the Detroit Lions will keep Hutchinson in-state with the No. 2 pick provided the Jacksonville Jaguars somehow pass on him with the first overall selection.

“With the year he had, his attitude, approach and energy and how he makes everyone around him better,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said, “he’s the best pass rusher in this draft.”

Hutchinson isn’t the only edge rusher who should expect to hear his name called early in the first round. Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, Georgia’s Travon Walker and Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson II won’t be waiting around long before being matched with their future employer.

It’s just a matter of which prospect fits a particular team’s system.

“They’re all different type of players,” Kiper said.

Thibodeaux was a three-year starter at Oregon and finished with 19 sacks and 34 1/2 tackles for loss in 31 career games. In 2021, he was a first-team All-American and a finalist for the Bednarik, Hendricks and Nagursky awards.

Thibodeaux, though, was inspired by Von Miller, not Watt.

“Growing up, YouTube was a thing, so I was really … he has this clip of all 100 sacks of his, and I still watch it,” he said. “You talk about moving with the ball and not on the ball. Demarcus Ware taught me a lot about that, too.”

Walker was a force for Georgia during its march to the national championship. He had six sacks, 7 1/2 tackles for a loss and led the Bulldogs with 36 quarterback pressures. He patterns his game after Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.

“He’s a big guy. His body type is just like me,” said Walker, who is 6-5, 275. “He’s a little taller. He’s one of those guys, a hard-nosed worker and willing to get the job done.”

Johnson spent two years at Georgia. Dissatisfied with his playing time, he transferred to Florida State, where, in his lone season with the Seminoles, he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He had 12 sacks, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and 12 quarterback pressures.

Another first-round possibility is Purdue’s George Karlaftis, who led the Boilermakers with 11 1/2 tackles for loss, five sacks and three forced fumbles.

Karlaftis is a late bloomer. He grew up in Greece playing water polo and didn’t try football until his family moved to Indiana when he was 13.

At the NFL Combine, he rattled off a long list of edge rushers he admires, naming Watt and Aaron Donald, among others. He also was asked to describe his style of play.

“One word: relentless,” he said. “That’s how I approach life, how I approach the game in terms of my technique, in terms of how I play, my motor, my effort. Everything about it is relentless.”

Top 5 edge rushers

1. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan, Sr., 6-6, 265

Overcame a fractured leg sustained during the 2020 season to emerge as the likely No. 1 overall pick. His father, Chris Hutchinson, also played at Michigan but spurned a chance to play for the Cleveland Browns so he could pursue a medical degree.

2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon, Jr., 6-5, 258

Thibodeaux is viewed as one of the most polarizing players in the draft class. Although he has vast potential, scouts question his desire to play football. Concerns are that Thibodeaux is more interested in building his own brand than playing.

3. Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State, R-Sr., 6-5, 262

He became the first player in ACC history to be named defensive player of the year in his only season at his school. That made his transfer from Georgia worth it.

4. Travon Walker Georgia, Jr., 6-5, 275

Although Walker is listed as an edge rusher, he has the ability to play all over the defensive line. The versatility could be enticing to NFL teams, but it also might hurt his draft stock because he can’t be pegged to play one spot.

5. George Karlaftis, Purdue, Jr., 6-4, 275

A late bloomer who didn’t begin playing football until eighth grade, Karlaftis emerged from a covid-shortened 2020 to become a first-team all-conference pick in the Big Ten.

Best fit for Steelers, first day

George Karlaftis, Purdue

Make no mistake, the Steelers won’t be selecting an edge rusher in the first round. They have too many other areas to address. And Karlaftis is probably more suited to play up front, but he also might be available at No. 20, so he gets the nod in this hypothetical scenario.

Best fit for Steelers, second day

Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State

Again, the Steelers likely will look elsewhere in the second and third rounds. At 6-3, 256 pounds, he fits the mold of an athletic outside linebacker. He had 18 tackles for loss and 9 1/2 sacks in his lone year with the Nittany Lions following his transfer from Temple.

Best fit for Steelers, third day

Christopher Allen, Alabama

He’s 6-4, 242 pounds and had 13 tackles for a loss and six sacks as a junior in 2020. His senior season was limited to one game because of a broken foot.