The Detroit Lions finished up making their roster cuts to get to the 4 p.m. limit of just 53 players on Tuesday. One of the names on the chopping block was rookie DE James Houston.
Houston, a sixth-round pick out of Jackson State, is the only member of the Lions’ 2022 draft class who did not make the initial 53-man roster. Two members of the class, WR Jameson Williams and DE Josh Paschal, are on the reserve lists for the first four weeks as they recover from injuries.
Houston was in the midst of a positional transition that began when he left Florida for Jackson State. He was an off-ball LB for the Gators but moved to stand-up pass rusher at JSU under head coach Deion Sanders. The Lions used Houston almost exclusively as a weakside DE in the 4-man front, but his lack of size and pass rushing polish were problematic.
Other teams can claim Houston off waivers. If he is not claimed by another team, the Lions can add the 23-year-old to the practice squad.