Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has carved out a reputation of being one of the NFL's most dangerous pass-rushers throughout his first three NFL seasons.
In his most recent campaign, he was off to an elite start before suffering a season-ending leg injury. Despite that injury, the consensus is that he will be back to full speed in short order.
This opinion is shared by many pundits, as shown in the voting for the All-NFC North team representatives at his position.
Here are breakdowns of the top-three vote getters, in descending order, with input from OnSI team publishers across the division. Rounding out the voting were Green Bay's Rashan Gary and Chicago's Montez Sweat in fourth- and fifth-place, respectively.
Van Ginkel thrived in his first season with the Vikings, terrorizing quarterbacks with 11.5 sacks and 50 pressures. He also provided elite coverage skills off the edge, earning an 81.0 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus highlighted by a pair of interception returns for touchdowns. His coverage grade was second among all qualified edge rushers last season, trailing only Nik Bonitto (92.6) of the Denver Broncos. The difference was Bonitto earned his grade in 68 coverage snaps, compared to 212 snaps as a linebacker in coverage for Van Ginkel.
Like Greenard, Van Ginkel could be even more dangerous this coming season thanks to Minnesota's offseason spent beefing up the middle of the defensive line with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Throw in expected growth from 2024 first-round pick, edge rusher Dallas Turner, and the Vikings have the makings of one of the most dominant pass-rush units in the NFL. — Joe Nelson, Vikings OnSI.
Greenard signed a four-year, $76 million contract with Minnesota last offseason and his job duty was simple: replace Danielle Hunter's production off the edge. He did just that, playing in all 17 games and racking up 12 sacks, four forced fumbles, three passes defensed — and he finished third in the NFL with 80 QB pressures.
His numbers could get even better in 2025-26 if Minnesota's interior defensive line makes it harder for teams to double and triple team Greenard. The additions of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave to the middle of the D-line should free up Greenard to create even more chaos in the backfield. — Joe Nelson, Vikings OnSI.
Before a brutal season-ending injury, Aidan Hutchinson was having a historic start to the 2024 season. He was the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in September and had four sacks in a Week 2 loss to Tampa Bay, which put him on a record pace early in the year.
While we'll never know if Hutchinson would've kept up that production and broke the single-season sack record, it's clear that he is one of the league's best pass rushers. He has an exceptional blend of speed and power off the edge, and has continued to develop throughout his three NFL seasons. There are plenty of concerns about whether the Lions will find someone to work in tandem with him, but as long as he's in the mix the defense will be in good hands. — John Maakaron, Lions OnSI.