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Lions rookie Aidan Hutchinson impresses early

While it is early in the process, Detroit Lions’ first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson seems to making the transition to the pros smoothly.

“Here is my initial read: everything that we thought we were getting shows up, not just in practice but in the meeting room also. … He has this quickness that is unbelievable,’’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said.

Naturally all eyes were on the rookie defensive end who impressed on the third day of OTAs on Thursday. He notched a pair of sacks during two-minute drills. Again, there is a long way to go, but so far so good.

Hutch was known for his work ethic at Michigan and he lost none of that on his way east to Allen Park.

“Just watch him, he’s always working. It’s that relentless attitude you guys see when he was at Michigan that made him so successful and it’s natural for him,’’ Glenn said. “There’s no doubt in my mind this player is going to be a really really good player for us. I’m executed to see once we get in training camp and get in the games for us.’’

Hutchinson will work daily against the Lions’ offensive line, which if it remains healthy, is solid. Left tackle Taylor Decker, who is sitting out while his foot heals, said on Thursday that it’s the most talented line since he’s been in Detroit.

Coach Dan Campbell expects Hutchinson’s biggest transition will be the physical part — adapting to the speed of the game and the types of tackles he will face.

“I’ve said before this is where I think Hutch is going to have a big advantage is he’s going to have to go against (Penei) Sewell and Decker every day. I think that’s huge. I think that will play more into his development than a lot of other things … I think it can excel his progression,’’ Campbell said.

Hutchinson is 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds and Campbell is happy with is strength but sees better things ahead.

“He’s got a ton of room to get more powerful, if you would. His strength is good enough to go out and compete no problems there, but yet, man, there’s still a ton of meat on the bone with him. That’s pretty exciting,’’ Campbell said.

The interview with Campbell was prior to Thursday’s OTA session.

“You can never tell for sure but I would say (strength) is one of the reasons we wanted to pick this guy — his DNA says he’s going to do everything that he can to be successful and he’s got enough ability and enough strength, he certainly does, to go out and help us and help us win some games,’’ Campbell said. “How fast will that be? I don’t know. I know this we’re not going to put him out there until he’s ready. He’s going to have to show that to us. We’ll see how it goes.’’

Lions draft cornerback Chase Lucas in the seventh round

Cornerback Chase Lucas was selected by the Detroit Lions with their seventh-round draft pick (234th overall) on Saturday.

Lucas, who was a team captain at Arizona State, received second-team all-conference honors in 2020 (15 tackles, five pass breakups in four starts) and then garnered honorable mention accolades in his final year (34 tackles, six pass breakups in 10 starts).

“It’s been a rough couple months, but it was a rough three hours today. It was hard to be patient and trust the process. … I ended up getting that beautiful news that I’ve been waiting 25 years for. I’m very pumped up, very excited but I’m also ready to work,’’ Lucas said on a conference call.

The 25-year-old started at the college level for five years after playing running back in high school.

“ I feel my football IQ is a big reason why I was drafted. I feel like I do a lot of studying, a lot of film work. I feel like that’s going to translate to the nickel spot hopefully for the rest of my career,’’ Lucas saidl.

Lucas, who is 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, broke out in a big way his redshirt freshman season by earning second-team All-Pac-12 and Freshman All-American honors (59 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups, 10 starts in 12 games played). Lucas started 12 of 13 games played in 2018 (62 tackles, six for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, five pass breakups) and then all 13 contests as a junior (50 tackles, four for loss, one interception, four pass breakups).

His NFL.com draft profile reads: “Slender boundary corner with an enormous amount of football snaps in his background. Lucas plays in off coverages, which is likely for the best considering his lack of strength and long speed. He typically trusts his eyes and has the traits to make plays on the football. He plays with adequate footwork to pedal and match basic routes but struggles to stay connected to more complex routes, as his body control and change of direction let him down.’’

Lions add another pass rusher in sixth round with James Houston

The Lions drafted yet another pass rusher by selecting James Houston out of Jackson State in the sixth round (217th overall) on Saturday.

Earlier in the draft they had added defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson (first round) and Josh Paschal (second round). After drafting those two, Lions GM Brad Holmes said you can never have too many pass rushers.

Houston’s resume isn’t quite as sparkling which explains why he was still available in the sixth round although he did have 16.5 sacks last season.

“I actually didn’t have any contact with the Lions (prior to the draft), but I”m happy they contacted me today,’’ Houston said in a conference call on Saturday.

His nickname is “The Problem” and he loves it. He said some of the Jackson State announcers came up with it.

“I was wreaking havoc. I had 10 to 11 sacks on the season and they came up with The Problem like Houston we have a problem,’’ Houston said.

He didn’t play in his senior year of high school due to injury, but was still signed by Florida. He was suspended for his first season due to alleged involvement in a credit card fraud scheme with other teammates.

“Everything that happened last year and everything that happened in college all of that is out the window. I’m coming in to work hard and try to make this organization better,’’ Houston said.

Houston, who is 6-foot-1 and 244 pounds, returned to contribute as a reserve for the Gators in 2018 (28 tackles, two for loss, one blocked kick in 13 games), 2019 (38 tackles, six for loss with 3.5 sacks) and 2020 (37 tackles, 3.5 for loss with one sack) before transferring to Jackson State.

It was a good move that earned him second-team Associated Press FCS All-American and first-team All-SWAC honors by leading the FCS with seven forced fumbles, tying for second with 24.5 tackles for loss and with 16.5 sacks. Houston had 70 total tackles and returned his lone interception for a score during 13 starts.

His NFL.com profile reads: “His Florida tape gives insight into his potential as an aggressive, downhill linebacker with modest instincts and results from the middle. He’s shorter and smaller than teams like along the edge but plays with an instinctive rush approach that effectively utilizes his explosive athleticism and bend to overwhelm FCS tackles.’’