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James Houston made quite a splash in the NFL once he got his chance. Bagging eight sacks in the final six games of his rookie campaign was a mighty impressive feat. It’s one that apparently didn’t garner much attention outside of Detroit, however.
In the wake of many national (and some local) pundits and draft analysts actively efforting to replace Houston in the 2023 NFL draft and free agency, it’s nice to see the speedy pass rusher get a little national respect. It comes courtesy of Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar in his All-Underrated Team.
Farrar regularly does a “Secret Superstar” feature during the season, but this edition covers the offseason and the entire league. Houston was a savvy choice for the Lions.
Houston didn’t even see the field until Week 12 against the Bills, but from then through the end of the regular season, Houston wasn’t just Detroit’s most productive pass-rusher — he was one of the NFL’s best. His eight sacks tied for fourth in the league, and his 17 pressures rounded everything out quite well. Not bad for a rookie.
Houston changed his uniform number to 41 this offseason, but it doesn’t change his status as Detroit’s primary SAM backer and impactful pass rush specialist in Aaron Glenn’s defense.
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