Aidan Hutchinson will hear his name called early in the NFL Draft, perhaps first overall.
The potential for that became real thanks to his breakout performances week after week during Michigan's run to become Big Ten champions.
NFL teams weren't alone in noticing his potential at the next level. Panini America, the NFL's exclusive trading card partner, sought Hutchinson to become a face of their annual 'Rated Rookie' documentary series.
The Michigan defensive end is the first defensive player Panini has ever featured in the series. And that's just the start of the company's relationship with the Divine Child High School graduate. The company has a 20-year relationship with Lions legend and Hall of Famer Barry Sanders.
"It's funny, in the trading card category, people don't get too excited about defensive players. I feel like Aidan's the guy people can get really excited about," Jason Howarth, Panini's Vice President of Marketing told WXYZ.
Panini America will celebrate Hutchinson's journey to the NFL with a made-to-order Panini Instant card the moment he hears his name on the stage in Las Vegas.
The company followed Hutchinson through his hometown of Plymouth, Michigan's Ann Arbor campus, and the scouting combine in Indianapolis. They produced a three-episode documentary series airing on their social media sites. Watch the first episode by clicking here.
