James Houston Stats Prediction for Detroit Lions in 2024

Even though he’s behind in those areas, his elite bend and speed off the edge will still allow him to get reps in passing games. He showed during his rookie push that he has a variety of moves to get around tackles, and that’s a trait that many of Detroit’s other options lack.

The Detroit Lions defense suffered a major blow early in the 2023 season when James Houston suffered a serious ankle injury.

Expected to be a big part of the team’s pass-rushing efforts, Houston was sidelined after the Week 2 injury and didn’t return until the NFC Championship Game. The Lions struggled to find production elsewhere along the defensive line, as only two players topped five sacks for the season.

Houston is now healthy and eager to return. Hopefully, he can be part of the solution as the Lions look to put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2024. As a rookie in 2022, Houston showed the ability to be a force with eight sacks in seven appearances.

After being elevated from the practice squad in Week 12 of the 2022 season, Houston went on an elite tear down the final stretch of the season. He recorded eight sacks and 17 total pressures on just 92 total snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Last season, the Lions were hoping Houston would take on a deeper role as the team’s SAM linebacker. However, he was unable to fully show his abilities in this role due to his injury. He was pressured twice in the season opener, but couldn’t register more in his other two appearances.

The Jackson State product will certainly have the opportunity to showcase his abilities on defense in 2024. However, he will need to demonstrate run-stopping ability as well as some strength in coverage to be more than just a sleight of hand. specialist.

Even though he falls behind in these areas, his elite bend and speed off the edge will still allow him to get passing reps. He showed during his rookie push that he had a variety of moves to get around tackles, and that’s a trait that many of Detroit’s other options lack.

Aidan Hutchinson led the defense last year with 11.5 sacks, with only Alim McNeill managing to top five or more elsewhere.

If Houston can demonstrate the ability to stop the run consistently, he opens himself up to a permanent role that could lead to more production, not just in the pass rush.

The 25-year-old should be an integral part of the defense as a situational player to start the year, with the ability to take on more responsibility depending on his development as well as that of others like Josh Paschal.

Health will also play a big role in snap distribution as he, Paschal and newcomer Marcus Davenport have all missed significant time due to injuries in previous seasons.

However, if Houston stays healthy, he could have a chance to reach double digits in sacks in a full season.

Assuming the Jackson State product stays healthy for the majority of the season, I expect him to record 38 tackles, nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss along with one forced fumble during the 2024 campaign. That would go a long way toward improving Detroit’s pass pressure, which would also improve the production of the pass defense as a whole.