The NFL offseason is the perfect time to come up with wild concepts that have no real meaning or impact on the current state of the league. In a recent article, Bleacher Report did exactly that.
Kristopher Knox, a Bleacher Report writer, put together a massive NFL re-draft, combining the draft classes from 2021 to 2025 and pairing each of the top players with a franchise. His pick for the Arizona Cardinals will have fans daydreaming about what could have been.
Bleacher Report pairs Aidan Hutchinson with Cardinals in re-draft
It's an interesting thought exercise. If any player from the last five NFL Draft classes was available, who would you want the Cardinals to take?
Of course, in this scenario, Kyler Murray is already on the team, so quarterbacks are less valuable. You'd consider star receivers like Malik Nabers and Ja'Marr Chase. Even offensive tackles like Penei Sewell would be intriguing.
Kristopher Knox had the Cardinals selecting defensive end Aidan Hutchinson in his re-draft.
The Cardinals have sorely lacked talent on defense in the first half of this decade, at least until their moves this offseason. Aidan Hutchinson would give them one of the league's premier pass rushers, a cornerstone for years to come.
The Detroit Lions selected Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick in 2022. Since then, he's been dominant.
Hutchinson has dealt with some frustrating injury luck during his young career, but his talent has been undeniable in his time with the Lions. In three seasons, he's totaled 28.5 sacks and 122 tackles. Before his season-ending injury in 2024, he was on pace to be the clear Defensive Player of the Year winner.
He would give the Arizona Cardinals a force to build their defense around. Opposing offenses would have to gameplan specifically for him. That's something the Cardinals haven't had in years.
In this hypothetical re-draft, plenty of offensive stars were still on the board. The Cardinals could have had Penei Sewell, Brian Thomas Jr., or even Puka Nacua. But, behind quarterback, defensive end is arguably the most important position in football. You couldn't fault the Cardinals for choosing to lock up one of the best pass rushers in the sport.
As Knox puts it, "Drafting Hutchinson might not directly aid Murray, but it would give Arizona an elite defender and ensure the franchise has a cornerstone on each side of the ball."
So, as pointless as it may be, I'm going to imagine what it would be like to have Aidan Hutchinson on the Arizona Cardinals.