It couldn’t have broken any more perfectly for the Detroit Lions.

After the Jaguars took Georgia’s Travon Walker with the first pick of Thursday night’s NFL Draft, Lions GM Brad Holmes had an easy choice on his hands — and made it within mere seconds after Jacksonville’s pick.

The Lions selected edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, a native of the state and alumnus of its flagship university, with the second overall pick.

Hutchinson, a captain his junior year at Michigan, shot to the top of draft boards last season when he posted 14 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss. Behind his leadership and play, the Wolverines defeated Ohio State for the first time since 2011, won the Big Ten championship for the first time since 2004 and made the College Football Playoff for the first time.

Though there seemed to be a possibility of Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux going to the Lions, in the end, Detroit wasn’t going to go away from the local kid. Hutchinson is the first top pick out of Michigan since Jake Long in 2008 and the third ever from the school, with Tom Harmon being the other, in 1941.

A native of Plymouth, Mich., Hutchinson’s father, Chris, also played defensive line at Michigan. At the NFL combine, Aidan measured 6-foot-7, 260 pounds with a 4.74-second 40-yard dash.

His ceiling is widely considered to be lower than the likes of Walker, since most of his production comes from technical ability rather than athleticism. His floor, though, may be the highest of any player in this draft. The Lions’ defense, ranked 29th in yardage last season, was in need of a high-end pass rusher — and the team sees Hutchinson in that role.

Detroit is still in the early stages of its rebuild, and will expect to be near the top of the draft next season as well.

Get the complete list of first-round 2022 NFL Draft picks, with analysis and more from the New York Post.

With a stacked quarterback class expected to be entering the league next season, the Lions will likely use that opportunity to upgrade the position.

This season will likely be one of development for Dan Campbell’s squad. But the addition of Hutchinson is one the Lions’ brass will hope to hang its hat on.