Michigan Football: Where is Aidan Hutchinson going in mock drafts?

With the NFL draft right around the corner, the jury is out on where top-flight prospect and former Michigan Wolverine Aidan Hutchinson lands. Let’s take a look at where some of the most reputable sources have him landing.

All-time Michigan football great and Heisman trophy runner-up Aidan Hutchinson is riding high.

Coming off one of the best seasons by a defender in Michigan football history, Hutchinson is no doubt going to find himself taken within the top five of the upcoming NFL draft. Where will he be taken though? Well, that remains to be seen.

Other candidates that NFL teams are vying for — potentially over Hutchinson — include Georgia’s former stud defensive end Travon Walker, Evan Neal, and offensive tackle of Alabama.

Also, offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu of North Carolina State and former number one overall national high school recruit turned Oregon Duck defensive star Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Will Aidan Hutchinson land at the top of the heap? Or will he find himself on the outside looking in? Be sure to click on the hyperlink embedded in the title of each projection to view each analyst’s entire mock draft.

Without further ado, let’s see where the experts have the Wolverine superstar heading.

CBS Sports: Detroit Lions, #2 overall

CBS writer Ryan Wilson has Aidan Hutchinson in the Honolulu blue at the second pick behind the aforementioned North Carolina Wolfpack offensive Tackle Ikem Ekwonu. A natural fit for headman Dan Campbell. All Michigan football fans have to love this fit.

Pro Football Focus (PFF): Detroit Lions, #2 overall

PFF analyst Austin Gayle also likes Hutchinson at the second overall pick. This time behind Georgia Bulldog Travon Walker who plays the same position as Hutchinson.

It should be noted Walker has recently risen up draft boards within the last several weeks.

NFL Network: Jacksonville Jaguars, #1 overall

NFL Network host Rhett Lewis is a smart man. He, like most, believes Hutchinson “is the safest pick in the draft”.

He’s not wrong.

Pro Football Talk (PFT): Detroit Lions, #2 overall

The Godfather of mock drafts, and the MMQB (Monday Morning Quarterback) column, Peter King, has come up with a doozy of a mock draft. Here he has “Hutch” again finding himself at the second overall pick landing behind Travon Walker as we saw earlier.

Keep in mind with King’s connections — though the moves and picks he projects aren’t certain — are no doubt backed up by solid information.

Pro Football Network: Jacksonville Jaguars, #1 overall

PFN’s writer, James Fragoza also went with the safe pick so to speak, projecting Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke to select Hutchinson with the first overall pick over plenty of other options.

What can we glean from the expert predictions?

There is a lot of confusion — as there always is leading up to the NFL draft. But it seems that none of the five analysts who are some of the very best in the business, or any of the other folks running mock drafts for that matter, have Aidan Hutchinson slipping past Detroit at the second overall pick.

Should Aidan Hutchinson get selected in the top two of the draft, he would become the fifth ever Wolverine to get selected in the top five of the NFL draft. The first since Jake Long was selected first overall in the 2008 NFL draft.

No matter where Aidan lands, he will be an instant impact player who has the potential to be a franchise cornerstone for a very, very long time.