One of the surest signs of respect for a pass rusher is getting blocked by double teams. Aidan Hutchinson quickly earned that respect in his rookie season for the Detroit Lions.
No NFL edge rusher faced more double teams than Hutchinson did as a rookie, according to ESPN’s pass rush win data. In the chart compiled by data analyst Seth Walder, Hutchinson and Cleveland Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett are on the same line for double-team rate at 30 percent. The data is based on NFL Next Gen Stats.
Hutchinson’s pass rush win rate is relatively low. The metric of a “win” is determined by how often a pass rusher wins his rep in under 2.5 seconds. He still had a very productive season, leading all rookies with 9.5 sacks and capturing the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month twice.
Double team rate at Edge (x) by pass rush win rate at Edge (y) for the 2022 NFL season.
(ESPN / NFL Next Gen Stats) pic.twitter.com/PDSa4L5xTs
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) January 13, 2023
Interestingly, Hutchinson was the only Lions pass rusher with enough snaps to qualify. The late-season success from fellow rookie James Houston should help ease some of that astronomical double-team rate on Hutchinson in 2023.
