Getty James Houston sacks Zach Wilson for a loss in 2022.
James Houston had a breakout back half of his rookie season for the Detroit Lions, racking up eight total sacks despite appearing in only seven games.
But one insider believes the breakout campaign may not be enough to earn Houston a spot on the Lions’ final roster this season, naming him as a potential cut candidate as the deadline for the final 53-man roster nears. Houston is jostling for a position on a deep defensive line, with MLive.com’s Kyle Meinke predicting that there will be more qualified candidates than there are roster spots available.
James Houston ‘Name to Watch’ As Cuts Approach
The Lions made efforts to improve their defensive line this offseason, signing Christian Covington and drafting Brodric Martin. Meinke believes the added depth will make it difficult for players like Julian Okwara to find a spot on the team despite his strong performance in the preseason.
“Improved depth means more competition than ever at the back end of this rotation,” Meinke wrote. “That’s especially true on the perimeter, where a guy like Julian Okwara officially has three sacks in the preseason and added a fourth against Jacksonville, although that one was nullified by a penalty away from the play. Still, I think he has work left to do to make the team. There are just too many pass rushers who have been better.”
Meinke added that even Houston, who combined with fellow 2022 rookie Aidan Hutchinson for 17.5 sacks last year, may need to finish the preseason strong in order to avoid being released.
James Houston this preseason:
🔹8 pressures
🔹1 sack
🔹2 run stops
He is going to have a huge second season! #OnePride
“One name to watch heading into cuts is Houston, who just finished second among all rookies in sacks last season, but has struggled to take a step forward in camp this offseason,” Meinke wrote. “He’s repped mostly with the deep reserves, but gave his roster chances a big boost by blowing up Jacksonville for four tackles for loss and one sack. Then again, he played 36 snaps in the final three quarters of that game, which is rarely a good sign.”
Difficult Decisions on Both Sides of the Ball
The Lions could also have some difficult decisions to make on offense, starting with the backup quarterback position. Though veteran Nate Sudfeld held down the job since joining the Lions just before the start of the 2022 season, recent addition Teddy Bridgewater is now seen as the frontrunner for the job since signing with the team in August.
The Lions have another competition brewing on offensive line, where former first-round pick Germain Ifedi may be fighting for a spot on the team. The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy predicted in an August 14 story that Ifedi would not be among the nine offensive lineman to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster.
Pouncy wrote that it could come down to a bottle between Ifedi and lineman Matt Nelson for the position group’s final roster spot.
“The final two spots are where it gets dicey,” he wrote. “Nelson has made the 53-man roster in recent years, but it has been a struggle this time around. The Lions use him in their jumbo package and like him in that role, but when they’ve trotted him out as a left tackle, he’s gotten worked by both Detroit’s defensive line and the [New York] Giants’. Still, he gets the nod over Ifedi and [Obinna] Eze for now.