Aidan Hutchinson’s Bench Press Raises Questions After Controversial Spot, Combine Pass

• Aidan Hutchinson chose not to bench at the NFL Combine.
• When he finally participated in the drill at his Pro Day, he received a questionable spot.
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Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, his bench press is causing people to ask questions.

Ultimately, a bench press number has nothing to do with on-field play. With that being said, the way in which his performance has unfolded is rather strange.

First, Hutchinson chose not to bench at the NFL Combine. He ran the 40, jumped both broad and vertical and participated in both the 3 Cone Drill and 20-yard shuffle. He did not bench press.

While it was a confusing decision at the time, it is not uncommon. He was going to wait for his Pro Day at Michigan.

Hutchinson put up 28 reps on the bench press during the Wolverines’ Pro Day on Friday, but quite a few reps may not have been up to standard. The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder received an extremely questionable spot from his coach.

The spot was likely to keep Hutchinson in rhythm, and if the coach had kept a greater distance between his hand and the bar, there may not have been any reason to raise an eyebrow. Instead, the coach kept a very tight watch/grip on the bar and seemingly helped Hutchinson with a slight boost on a few reps.

Even if he didn’t, there is just something… off… about the way the whole thing went down. Take a look:

Between the decision not to bench at the Combine, and his strange spot on Friday, Hutchinson’s bench comes with a mental asterisk.