Allen Park — The first move was the celebrated one, the logical one. The Lions coveted Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and they leapt to grab him with the second pick of the NFL Draft.
The next move was the dramatic one, and if there was any doubt about GM Brad Holmes’ aggressiveness, it evaporated in a flash. The Lions traded three picks to the Vikings to move up to the 12th spot Thursday night and landed Alabama’s Jameson Williams, arguably the most talented receiver in the draft.
Wow and wow. And whoa, the Lions just made their biggest first-round splash, maybe in forever.
“Obviously thrilled how tonight went,” Holmes said. “To be able to get Aidan and everything he brings, he’s so much of a culture fit in terms of what we’re about. And to acquire Jameson as well, ecstatic.”
Holmes and Dan Campbell craved game-changers, and they played a shrewd game to nab two. Williams was the shocker, a speedy deep threat who would’ve gone higher if he hadn’t suffered a torn ACL in the national championship game. In a draft packed with dynamic receivers, three were taken quickly, and the Lions didn’t hesitate to join the run.
No waiting around, no messing around. Smart and decisive. They addressed two enormous needs — pass rush and receiver — and didn’t surrender a ton to do it. They gave up the final pick of the first round (32), as well as the 34th and 66th picks, to get Williams and also a second-rounder from the Vikings.
“I’ve always said, if we have conviction and a buy-in, we’ll be aggressive and get that player,” Holmes said. “What gets overlooked about Jameson is, usually guys that explosive, that fast, that electrifying … but this guy’s tough. This guy’s gritty, he loves football.”
More picks will be made the next two days, but this was the impact the Lions had to have. It started quickly, and not surprisingly. When the speculation finally ended and Hutchinson’s moment came, it was difficult to tell who was more excited — the player or the team.
Hutchinson landed where he always wanted to land, with the hometown Lions. And they got the guy they clearly wanted, practically tumbling over their words to describe it. Hutchinson helped lift Michigan to heights it hadn’t seen, and now takes on an even larger task, to help take the Lions to places they’ve never gone.
There might be some hometown pressure but Hutchinson wasn’t sweating it, and neither were the Lions. In fact, after weeks of debate over which defensive end — Hutchinson or Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux — made most sense for the Lions, it wasn’t much of a debate for them. After Jacksonville took Georgia edge rush Travon Walker with the first pick, the Lions leapt.
So did Hutchinson, who hopped onto the stage in Las Vegas, unleashed a loud “Wooooo!” and then bear-hugged commissioner Roger Goodell.
“It feels great to be home once again,” Hutchinson said. “I picked Michigan when I was in high school. To have the opportunity to play at home in front of a lot of the same fans, I’m so grateful. It was the Lions all the way, the whole draft process, I wanted them to pick me.”
The feeling was deeply mutual. It may not have seemed that way at times as analysts picked apart the prospects, and some pegged Thibodeaux as the superior athlete with the higher upside. But Hutchinson checked more boxes on most draft charts, including the hard-to-define passion for football. The Lions vetted questions about his arm length (about an inch shorter than preferred) and whether he could play on all downs in all situations, and their answers never changed.
“He brings a motor, he brings tempo, he brings relentlessness, he brings rush, he’s quick, he’s powerful, he’s explosive,” Campbell told Fox 2 after the pick. “He’s everything we’re looking for, particularly defensively. You want your whole defense with that type of style, your hair’s on fire, all-out every play.”
Williams has the potential to set the Lions’ offense on fire, exactly the type of game-breaker they’ve lacked. He began his college career at Ohio State, but the Buckeyes were so stacked, he left to find a place to shine. He had 1,572 receiving yards for the Crimson Tide last season, third-most in program history, with four plays of 70-plus yards. His recovery from knee surgery reportedly is on schedule and he said he hoped to be ready by training camp. Realistically, he won’t be full speed until the season begins.
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I asked if he thought he’d have been the first receiver taken if not for the injury, and he didn’t hesitate.
“Yeah,” he said with a chuckle. “Nothing I can do about that now. I’m in Detroit, 12th pick, I’m happy. They showed me that I was a wanted player, and I have a chance to make a big impact.”
“Impact” was the word of the night, and it’s hard to find a draft where the Lions, at least on paper, made a bigger one. They’d never landed two players in the first 12 picks, and the last time they had two first-rounders was 2010 — Ndamukong Suh (No. 2) and Jahvid Best (30).
When fully healthy, the 6-2 Williams should be a significant weapon for Jared Goff. He has rare speed — Holmes said they rated him the fastest in a deep group of receivers — and will diversify an offense that hasn’t had a true big-play threat since, well, probably Calvin Johnson.
“We talked about finding somebody on the outside who will dictate coverages, and he checks that box 100%,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “This is a guy that can stretch the field deep without any sweat. He’s electric, he’s got juice, and once he gets healthy, we’re going to have something to cook with. It’ll be fun.”
Holmes and Campbell have talked about finding their type of players — aggressive, physical, able to attack the opposition. It’s one thing to hear the plan. It’s another thing to see it take form.
Who knows how this goes, as the Lions are still loaded with holes on defense and questions on offense. But they didn’t have to force any enthusiasm on this night, right from the start. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn envisions Hutchinson — who had 14 sacks last season for Michigan — playing outside and inside along the line, with plenty of upside.
“Aidan is the tough, aggressive, violent type of guy we need,” Glenn said. “He’s a Detroit Lion through and through. We deserve this player and he deserved us. He’s a true fit.”
Sometimes you get what you deserve, and sometimes you go get what you want. Hutchinson got what he deserved, and so did Williams. In a stirring first round, the Lions went and got what they wanted, and maybe even more.
Bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @bobwojnowski