ALLEN PARK -- It’s going to be hard to beat out Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner for defensive rookie of the year. The Detroit native is such a heavy favorite that sportsbooks stopped taking bets for a while.
But then Hutchinson was named rookie of the month for November.
Then he was named rookie of the month for December/January, too.
Now he’s officially been named a finalist for the award, along with Gardner and Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen.
Hutchinson enjoyed the best rookie season by any Lions defender since Ndamukong Suh was crowned rookie of the year in 2010. He led all first-year players in sacks (9.5), quarterback hits (15) and quarterback pressures (53) while setting an NFL record for most interceptions ever by a rookie lineman (three). And he did it while playing more snaps than all other defensive linemen in the game except Maxx Crosby.
He played 958 snaps in all. Only DeForest Buckner has ever played more than that as a rookie defensive linemen, since those things began being tracked anyway.
Expectations were sky-high for the former Michigan star, and Hutchinson delivered all that and then some after Detroit chose him over fellow pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.
“For what we wanted him for, he’s everything we’ve wanted, man,” head coach Dan Campbell said. “I mean this guy’s a football player, and with the No. 2 pick in the draft, we got a freaking football-playing dude, man, who’s high motor, and he’s versatile as hell.”
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also was named a finalist for top assistant, along with Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. Not a bad way to wrap up his first season calling plays, and certainly deserved. After not finishing in the top half of the league in a half-decade, the Lions’ offense soared all the way to third in points and fourth in yards while leading everyone in 30-point games. Quarterback Jared Goff also enjoyed a comeback season where he ranked among the league’s best quarterbacks in pretty much everything, including touchdowns (fifth) and quarterback rating (seventh), while not throwing a pick on his final 324 passes, the fifth-longest streak in NFL history.
Johnson drew a lot of interest for head-coaching vacancies this offseason, and had a second interview scheduled with Carolina before informing Detroit he would return for another season.
Campbell, meanwhile, was not named a finalist for coach of the year despite leading the Lions (9-8) to their first winning season since 2017. They went 5-1 in the division, a team best since the formation of the NFC North, and finished second overall to break a run of four straight last-place finishes.
Nick Sirianni (Eagles), Kyle Shanahan (49ers), Brian Daboll (Giants), Sean McDermott (Bills) and Doug Pederson (Jaguars) are the finalists for coach of the year. For the record, Campbell went 2-2 against those guys, routing the Giants and Jaguars while losing the season opener to Philadelphia and at the buzzer to Buffalo on Thanksgiving.
Other candidates for year-end awards:
Offensive rookie of the year: 49ers QB Brock Purdy, Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker, Jets WR Garrett Wilson
Offensive player of the year: Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
Defensive player of the year: Cowboys LB Micah Parsons, 49ers DE Nick Bosa, Chiefs DT Chris Jones
Comeback player of the year: Giants RB Saquon Barkley, 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey, Seahawks QB Geno Smith
Most Valuable Player: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Bills QB Josh Allen, Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
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