USA Today

When the Lions made defensive end Aidan Hutchinson the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, he could breathe a sigh of relief. Not just because it meant he was officially in the NFL, but also because it meant all the talk around the draft — something that had consumed his life for months — was over.

Hutchinson said at the Lions’ rookie minicamp that he was thrilled to be on a football field again and done with everything having to do with draft hype.

“Yeah, it’s great. This is what I do at the end of the day. All that talk, I hate the talk,” Hutchinson said, via MLive.com. “It’s been a lot of months of talking, lot of rah-rah, but now we’re out here getting the work in, which is what I do. A lot of good people here. I think we definitely have got the right people in place to start winning some ballgames. The players, it’s a great vibe here right now. Can’t wait until all the vets get here and we all start getting after it as a team.”

Hutchinson acknowledged that he’s not currently in football shape, another byproduct of an offseason that has more to do with talking than with working. He said he’s eager to get to work at helping the Lions reach a point where they won’t have the second overall pick again.