Even relative to the expectations of being the No. 2 overall pick, Hutchinson has been plenty productive through his first two seasons. He's combined to produce 21 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in 34 games. While his surface stats were nearly identical from 2022 to 2023, both his improved playmaking and peripheral stats make clear that we should expect more from Hutchinson. Most notably, he doubled his quarterback hits (15 to 33), increased his tackles for loss from nine to 14 and also forced three fumbles from his rookie to sophomore campaigns. His ability to get to the quarterback is particularly positive and illustrates his ability to produce at the levels of elite pass rushers around the league, as only T.J. Watt (36) and Nick Bosa (35) logged more quarterback hits than Hutchinson (33). The final piece to the puzzle is the rest of the defensive line supporting him, as Alim McNeil and new addition DJ Reader will occupy offensive lineman and keep double teams away from Hutchinson. Year three has all the makings of a breakout.
