Lions Scout: Houston Can Be 'Partner In Crime' with Hutchinson

Lions expecting James Houston to have bounce back season in 2024.

Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions are expecting outside linebacker James Houston to be a player that can complement Aidan Hutchinson along the defensive line.

Heading into the 2024 NFL season, one of the biggest question marks on the defense involves who will pressure the quarterback and record sacks alongside Hutchinson.

Lions scout Patrick Mularkey recently appeared on 'Swartz Talkin' Sports' and explained why the 25-year-old can be an integral part of the defense. Mularkey named Houston as his best pick during his time with the Lions.

“I liked that one a lot, that’s the kid we took in the sixth round out of Jackson State two years ago. That was kind of a guy that went under the radar that not a lot of teams knew about or had a lot of love for and I kind of put my name on it, put my stamp on him, we took him," Mularkey said. "As a rookie, we kind of thought of him as a developmental guy, guy that had traits but might take a couple years to really get going.

"But he came onto the scene, he had eight sacks in seven games that year. We had high expectations for him last year and then he broke his ankle and was out for almost the entire year," Mularkey continued. "That was unfortunate but he’s back healthy now and I think he’s gonna be a really good partner in crime with Aidan Hutchinson coming off the edge there.”  

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn expressed during organized team activities that the coaching staff expects Houston to "take another step" in his development this upcoming NFL season.

“I’m confident in all of our guys, and James Houston knows that," Glenn explained. "So we expect him to come out and, I don’t want to say be the James Houston of old, but to be the James Houston that we know can take another step.” 

In two seasons, Houston has recorded eight sacks in nine career games. He has 19 career pressures according to Pro Football Focus, and the site assigned him an 88.2 pass-rush grade in his rookie campaign.

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