Getty Detroit Lions area scout Patrick Mularkey hyped edge rusher James Houston as a player who could still be a key part of the Lions defense.
The Detroit Lions have done an excellent job at drafting in recent years. So when Patrick Mularkey was asked during an appearance on The Swartz Talkin’ Sports podcast who has been the best pick of his career, the longtime Lions area scout had plenty of choices. But Mularkey may have surprised some fans with his answer — edge rusher James Houston.
“I liked that one a lot. That’s the kid we took in the sixth round out of Jackson State two years ago,” Mularkey said on the podcast. “That was kind of a guy that went under the radar, not a lot of teams knew about or had a lot of love for, and I kind of put my name on him. Put my stamp on him, we took him.
“As a rookie, we kind of thought of him as a developmental guy, guy that had traits but was going to take a couple years to really get going.
However, it didn’t take Houston a couple years to get going. Instead, Houston recorded 8 sacks in his first seven NFL games to end his rookie season.
But the 25-year-old wasn’t able to build off of that success because of an injury. He missed nearly the entire 2023 season because of his leg.
Mularkey, though, still has a lot of faith in Houston emerging as an elite edge rusher for the Lions.
“We had high expectations for him last year and then he broke his ankle and was out for almost the entire year,” said Mularkey. “That was unfortunate, but he’s back healthy now, and I think he’s gonna be a really good, kind of, partner in crime with Aidan Hutchinson coming off the edge.”
Expectations for James Houston Entering 2024
Not many expected Houston to continue his incredible sack pace from 2022. But last summer, a lot of pundits predicted Houston to be the bookend edge rusher the Lions needed to pair with Aidan Hutchinson.
Without Houston beginning in Week 3 last year because of injury, the Lions didn’t have that second edge rusher. Hutchinson was second in the NFL with 101 total pressures last season. No other Lions pass rusher even had half that total in 2023.
To fix that issue, Detroit signed veteran defensive end Marcus Davenport and defensive tackle D.J. Reader in NFL free agency. The Lions also drafted cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw and traded for Carlton Davis.
With better coverage, the Lions should have the opportunity to create more pressure.
That plan, though, has made Houston a forgotten man. Mularkey’s hype for the 25-year-old, though, worked as reminder that perhaps the Lions will simply see their pass rush improve in 2024 because of the return of Houston.
He emerged as a star midway through his rookie season when he recorded 5 sacks on his first 63 NFL defensive snaps.
Lions Edge Rushing Depth Entering 2024
Houston probably won’t enter this season with a starting role. But if he can produce even a little like he did in a small sample as a rookie, the Lions will probably be much improved along the edge.
In addition to Davenport, the Lions signed former CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year Mathieu Betts this offseason. Detroit also still has John Cominsky and Josh Paschal for depth.
That rotation has a chance to be a lot better than it was last year when the Lions were 23rd in sacks.
It could even be elite if Houston fulfills Mularkey’s expectations. Claiming Houston as the best pick of his career is very high praise.
The Lions drafted Houston at No. 217 overall in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. In nine NFL games, he has recorded 13 combined tackles, including 7 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits and 8 sacks.