INDIANAPOLIS – The Falcons, who ranked last in the NFL in sacks this past season, are heavily scouting the pass rushers at the NFL scouting combine, and Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux are the two top prospects on their list.
The Falcons hold the eighth pick in the draft, which is set for April 28-30.
Hutchinson and Thibodeaux are both considered top-five picks, but questions about their playing skills could cause them to slip to the Falcons.
Hutchinson, who finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, had a poor showing against Georgia in the Orange Bowl, and teams are questioning Thibodeaux’s work ethic.
On the way to the national championship, Georgia had its way with Hutchinson and the rest of the Michigan defense. There’s the one viral clip of Jamaree Salyer running Hutchinson into the turf. They had a history of squaring off dating to a high school all-star game.
In Georgia’s 34-11 victory in the Orange Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal, Hutchinson finished with four tackles, one tackle for a loss and no sacks. He said that NFL teams have not asked him about that performance during his interviews.
“I thought I played well,” Hutchinson said. “I thought I did my job on a lot of the plays, but you can always do better. As players, we always strive to do better. You can always strive to make more plays.”
After recording only 3.5 sacks in his previous three seasons, Hutchinson erupted for 14.5 sacks last season and was named the Big Ten′s defensive player of the year.
“You can’t really compare 2018 Aidan to this Aidan now,” Hutchinson said. “I’m different. I’m way more confident in my game. I’m just ready to go.”
Some have compared Hutchinson with former Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, who’s now a Pro Bowler with the Chargers.
“I do think aspects of it are similar,” Hutchinson said. “I’ve watched a lot of film on Joey. He’s a very talented player. He’s a good person to learn from.”
Hutchinson, who’s from Plymouth, Michigan, said that he also studies Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.
“I just think the way he rushes, how relentless he is, is very fun to watch,” Hutchinson said. “I think that’s why he’s so damn productive.”
Hutchinson shot up the draft boards during the season.
“It would mean a lot,” Hutchinson said about being a possible top-10 pick. “A lot of hard work has gone into this. It’s been a very long journey. I’m ready to start a new chapter.”
Hutchinson reflected on his career at Michigan.
“It’s been a journey at Michigan with a lot of adversity,” Hutchinson said. “Finally, my senior year we came out on top and won a (Big Ten) championship. So, I think it was a great story with me. I’m glad. I’m happy with all the adversity that I went through because it made me the man I am today.”
Leading to the draft, Hutchinson plans to work on a podcast titled “The Hutch” with Pro Football Focus.
“We’ll start doing interviews for it after this,” Hutchinson said. “A lot of interviews. With a podcast you can be a little more real.”
Hutchinson plans to do all of the drills at the scouting combine, but not the bench press.
Thibodeaux has heard the questions about his “motor.” Some contend he shuts down his “motor” and takes some plays off.
“I feel like everyone has a job,” Thibodeaux said. “For me, when you have a smart kid like me and you have a lot of positives, someone has to find the negative. I don’t really look too much into it. I know what I can do for a team.”
Thibodeaux did face a lot of double-teams and double-tight end formations over the 11 games he played. Four games were against teams that used two tight ends and two running backs, which limited his pass-rushing opportunities.
“I’m not really too worried about what people have to say,” Thibodeaux said. “As long as the teams, and I can kind of come to an understanding of how hard (I play) and the love I have for the game.”
Thibodeaux, who’s 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds, played three seasons at Oregon. He had nine, three and seven sacks. He suffered an ankle sprain in the first game of the 2021 season and missed the next two games.
He missed the half of another game because of a targeting penalty.
“I had a lot of opportunities to show what I can do,” Thibodeaux said. He was named a consensus All-American last season.
“I’m honest with myself and I watch the tape,” Thibodeaux said. “If you’re a student of the game you know there are things you can get better at.”
Thibodeaux believes he has to work harder to get off blocks.
“Sometimes I get stalemated,” Thibodeaux said. “Sometimes I can’t add second and third moves. I can’t continue my pass rushing and really finish through it. I feel like there were a couple of sacks left out there because I kind of got stuck on blocks. Just getting off blocks and creating that actual move to a finish strong.”
The Falcons know they must improve their pass rush.
In addition to scouting Hutchinson and Thibodeaux, the Falcons have interviewed Florida State edge rusher Jermaine Johnson, Minnesota’s Boye Mafe and USC’s Drake Jackson.
“Can that player get to the quarterback?” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said about assessing edge rushers. “Is he a true pressure player? Does he win? Because when you start focusing on just the measurables and you try to create something, sometimes you can get yourself in trouble. So, I would say the most important part is he winning those one-on-one matchups.”
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