Lions’ James Houston Gets Candid on Role: ‘They Don’t Really Know Where to Put Me’

Getty Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston opened up about his potential 2023 role.

Big things are expected from Detroit Lions second-year linebacker James Houston this fall after he recorded 8 sacks in seven games to end the 2022 season.

Houston is aiming to double that sack total for the Lions this season. But he isn’t sure what role he will be playing yet.

“For me, I’ve got to get on the field. I don’t know what that looks like, but I got to figure something out,” Houston told the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “Just like last year, it was just like they didn’t really know where to put me. I feel like it’s kind of similar, the same way.

“They don’t really know where to put me, and so I’m kind of that guy, hopefully I can be a chess piece and not too much of a liability, I guess, where I really can only play one position, where you can move me in different ways and put me on the field. So that’s really my goal, to get the team to be able to trust me enough to get to that point.”

In addition to 8 sacks, he also had 12 combined tackles, including 7 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery during 2022.

James Houston’s Desire to Be More than a Pass Rusher

Houston could very easily be a pass-rushing specialist this season. In that role, Houston could earn double-digit sacks and maybe even contend for a Pro Bowl nomination.

He has that type of talent getting after the opposing quarterback.

But Birkett wrote that Houston is done “judging his worth” based on only sacks. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn shared the sentiment.

“It’s easy to go out there and say, ‘Look, I’m just going to run around the edge and win,'” Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn told The Detroit Free Press. “He does it really well. But is that all he wants to be?

“I think he would tell you, ‘Hell no, I want to be a complete football player.'”

Houston was a complete defender in college. In three seasons at Florida, he posted just 4.5 sacks but 100 total tackles, including 10.5 for loss. He also had 3 forced fumbles for the Gators, who played him as an off-ball linebacker.

He finished his college career at Jackson State, where he became more of a pass-rushing specialist. In 2021, he recorded 70 total tackles, 7 forced fumbles, 1 pass defense and an interception to go with 16.5 sacks.

Houston Competing for Starting Role With Lions

The 24-year-old told Birkett that his goal is to become an every-down linebacker for the Lions this season. Birkett didn’t refute that goal, projecting that Houston would compete with Charles Harris and Julian Okwara for the starting strong-side linebacker role during training camp.

“Though he spent most of OTAs playing behind Harris and Okwara in the rotation, he has made headway in his quest,” wrote Birkett.

Harris and Okwara each made impactful plays for the Detroit defense during 2021. But both players weren’t the same last season and finished the campaign on injured reserve.

In part because of those injuries, NFL rumors have connected the Lions to pass rushers in free agency and even trades this offseason. Houston could silence those rumors, though, with a strong training camp.

Harris going on IR in November actually opened the door for Houston to make his NFL debut in Week 13. This summer, Houston will have the opportunity to prove he should play all the time for the Lions defense.