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The Detroit Lions appear to have found a star in defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. But they could have another star pass rusher from the 2022 draft class.
That’s exactly what Heavy senior reporter Matt Lombardo argued. Lombardo projected Detroit edge rusher James Houston, who the Lions drafted at No. 217 overall in the sixth round last year, to be one of the league’s top five sophomore standouts for this upcoming season.
“Houston already has surpassed his sixth-round pick status, logging an impressive 8.0 sacks as a rookie, and showcasing his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and disruptiveness in opposing backfields,” Lombardo said. “In addition to his prowess as a pass-rusher, Houston also carded 10 run-stops in 31 run-defense snaps.
“As a rookie, Pro Football Focus gave Houston an 88.1 pass-rush grade. Opening the season at the top of the depth chart should give Houston an expanded role, which could lead to a significant uptick from his already dominant production.”
In addition to those 8 sacks, Houston posted 7 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery in 7 games last season.
James Houston Projected to be Breakout Player in 2023
It’s probably unrealistic to expect Houston to continue averaging more than a sack per game over the course of an entire season. That’s because his production in 2022 was incredible considering his playing time.
He recorded 5 sacks in his first four NFL games despite never playing more than 25 snaps in any contest. In his debut, he had 2 sacks on just 5 defensive snaps.
By the end of the season, though, Houston was starting. He played at least half of Detroit’s defensive snaps in the final two games of 2022. He had 3 sacks, 3 quarterback hits and 2 tackles for loss in the two contests.
With the 88.2 pass rushing grade Lombardo reference, Houston finished with the seventh-best pass rushing grade among edge rushers in the league according to PFF. If he can be close to maintaining that level of play over an entire season, which Lombardo predicted, Houston is a candidate to reach double-digits in sacks.
Lions Looking for More Pass Rush in 2023
Houston posting more than 10 sacks would be a sight for sore eyes in Detroit. The last time the Lions had a defender reach double-digits in sacks was 2020.
Last season, the Lions were tied for 18th in the league with 39 sacks. With that average pass rush, the Lions were also 30th in passing yards allowed and 31st in net yards allowed per pass attempt.
For Detroit to take the next step as a defense and help the team compete for its first division title since 1993, the pass rush will have to get to opposing quarterbacks more often and create more big plays.
Houston is a big part of the equation for Detroit to have a better pass rush. Last season, he was second on the team with his 8 sacks. Hutchinson, the No. 2 pick from the 2022 class, led the Lions with 9.5 sacks.
If Lombardo’s prediction comes to fruition, Houston and Hutchinson could make up one of the best young pass-rushing duos in the league.
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